keris for comment

A. G. Maisey · 12th November 2009, 08:50 PM

What we are looking at here is a variation in technique, and a variation in quality, rather than a variation based on geographic origin.

Kinatah is where the individual elements of the motif have had gold applied to them. There are several ways that this can be done, some are better than others.

Where an overlay of gold has been applied to an entire section of metal, we are not looking at kinatah work.

The best kinatah work I have ever seen is on a Balinese royal keris; I have seen and I own several keris and tombak from South Sumatra and from Jawa that all have very good quality kinatah work.

It is a matter of the level of quality and the technique of ornamentation that has been used, rather than a matter of geographic origin.

12th November 2009, 08:50 PM	#8
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	What we are looking at here is a variation in technique, and a variation in quality, rather than a variation based on geographic origin. Kinatah is where the individual elements of the motif have had gold applied to them. There are several ways that this can be done, some are better than others. Where an overlay of gold has been applied to an entire section of metal, we are not looking at kinatah work. The best kinatah work I have ever seen is on a Balinese royal keris; I have seen and I own several keris and tombak from South Sumatra and from Jawa that all have very good quality kinatah work. It is a matter of the level of quality and the technique of ornamentation that has been used, rather than a matter of geographic origin.