Unusual Keris Dress from where?

Naga Sasra · 23rd August 2006, 01:46 AM

Dear fellow Keris Warung Kopi members.
First congratulations with the new forum and to the moderators who keep us all in check.

The attached photos reflect for me a very unusual dress, which I am having trouble identifying. I have had this particular piece for about 30 years and had never seen anything like it before, so I more or less discarted actually put it in the bottom of the pile as being perhaps a tourist piece with an older blade.
This is where I had it until Edward Frey released the third edition of his book. This book had the addition of the Kris Archives, and there it was on page 57 lower right corner, his photo show the wrangka with the points up, where mine is down. There is also the matter of the size of the wrangka, he show his to be 5.2 in wide, mine is 11 in wide.

I would appreciate any and all information which can be added.

David · 23rd August 2006, 04:19 AM

Welcome Naga Sasra, glad you could join us. I have noted the example in Frey and certainly see the similarity. Judging from the quality of the carving and the wood i would have a hard time seeing this as "tourist" dress, but i have no idea of it's origin. The gandar reminds me of a bird with outstretched wings. Seems a nice find to me.

David · 23rd August 2006, 03:08 PM

BTW, if you hold a ruler up to the width of the Frey example in his book and then check the length you will notice that his quoted 5.2 in. measurement must be a misprint. He lists the lenght at 21.5, but the width is clearly far longer than half the length. It would appear that the ratio of width to height are fairly similar in both yours and his example.

David · 23rd August 2006, 03:40 PM

Well, i suppose i would take a guess my first inclination is to say perhaps East Jawa. Could also be Madura and i wouldn't count out the Cirebon area either.{Hope that was non-commital enough

)

Henk · 23rd August 2006, 08:59 PM

A very remarkable dress indeed. Looking at it I compare it with the early "tourist" keris the dutch soldiers brought home in the fifties of the previous century. Good blades were redressed in fancy carved dresses to bring home to Holland. I would say just like David East Java, but more possible is Madura.

Rick · 23rd August 2006, 11:43 PM

What do I know except what I've learned from books and friends .

The gestalt of the piece makes me lean more toward E. Jawa / Cirebon as the origin .

Naga Sasra ; I did not see this piece at your home (or maybe I forgot I did; so many to see) ; do you have any measurements of it ? The keris looks smallish from the pictures .

Rick

Naga Sasra · 24th August 2006, 12:07 AM

Thank you for the welcome and for the observations posted this far.

When I initially discarted it as a tourist piece, my thinking was that I had never seen anything like it before, and nor was anything published on the style of the dress, that I had access to at the time.
Another factor involved was the fact that the market was flooded with very well made carved dresses from Bali in the 50's and 60's. Some of these pieces were extraordinary dresses, some even with decent blades in them.

David, your size observation is right on the mark, and I fully concur that the size in Frey's book is a misprint.
I will also think in the direction of Cirebon, based on the carving of the handle and at the same time not discard East Jawa.

Henk, as for Madura origin anything is possible from there, as they have proven themselves as masters of most known styles, not only blades but dress as well. The keris brought back to Holland by soldiers in the late 40's early 50's were the early "tourist" pieces, the ones most people recognize are the ones with the sitting or laying down lion, or the face of garuda on the wrangka and the helmet style handle. Could the Madura people have made this one? most certainly but have they?

I would certainly like to see if anyone out there have seen anything like it before. Or can recognise the stylistic elements of this dress and the culture from where it originates.

23rd August 2006, 01:46 AM	#1
Naga Sasra Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Boca Raton, Florida, USA Posts: 108	Unusual Keris Dress from where? Dear fellow Keris Warung Kopi members. First congratulations with the new forum and to the moderators who keep us all in check. The attached photos reflect for me a very unusual dress, which I am having trouble identifying. I have had this particular piece for about 30 years and had never seen anything like it before, so I more or less discarted actually put it in the bottom of the pile as being perhaps a tourist piece with an older blade. This is where I had it until Edward Frey released the third edition of his book. This book had the addition of the Kris Archives, and there it was on page 57 lower right corner, his photo show the wrangka with the points up, where mine is down. There is also the matter of the size of the wrangka, he show his to be 5.2 in wide, mine is 11 in wide. I would appreciate any and all information which can be added. Attached Images

23rd August 2006, 04:19 AM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,029	Welcome Naga Sasra, glad you could join us. I have noted the example in Frey and certainly see the similarity. Judging from the quality of the carving and the wood i would have a hard time seeing this as "tourist" dress, but i have no idea of it's origin. The gandar reminds me of a bird with outstretched wings. Seems a nice find to me.

23rd August 2006, 03:08 PM	#3
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,029	BTW, if you hold a ruler up to the width of the Frey example in his book and then check the length you will notice that his quoted 5.2 in. measurement must be a misprint. He lists the lenght at 21.5, but the width is clearly far longer than half the length. It would appear that the ratio of width to height are fairly similar in both yours and his example.

23rd August 2006, 03:40 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,029	Well, i suppose i would take a guess my first inclination is to say perhaps East Jawa. Could also be Madura and i wouldn't count out the Cirebon area either.{Hope that was non-commital enough )

23rd August 2006, 08:59 PM	#5
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	A very remarkable dress indeed. Looking at it I compare it with the early "tourist" keris the dutch soldiers brought home in the fifties of the previous century. Good blades were redressed in fancy carved dresses to bring home to Holland. I would say just like David East Java, but more possible is Madura.

23rd August 2006, 11:43 PM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,263	What do I know except what I've learned from books and friends . The gestalt of the piece makes me lean more toward E. Jawa / Cirebon as the origin . Naga Sasra ; I did not see this piece at your home (or maybe I forgot I did; so many to see) ; do you have any measurements of it ? The keris looks smallish from the pictures . Rick

24th August 2006, 12:07 AM	#7
Naga Sasra Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Boca Raton, Florida, USA Posts: 108	Thank you for the welcome and for the observations posted this far. When I initially discarted it as a tourist piece, my thinking was that I had never seen anything like it before, and nor was anything published on the style of the dress, that I had access to at the time. Another factor involved was the fact that the market was flooded with very well made carved dresses from Bali in the 50's and 60's. Some of these pieces were extraordinary dresses, some even with decent blades in them. David, your size observation is right on the mark, and I fully concur that the size in Frey's book is a misprint. I will also think in the direction of Cirebon, based on the carving of the handle and at the same time not discard East Jawa. Henk, as for Madura origin anything is possible from there, as they have proven themselves as masters of most known styles, not only blades but dress as well. The keris brought back to Holland by soldiers in the late 40's early 50's were the early "tourist" pieces, the ones most people recognize are the ones with the sitting or laying down lion, or the face of garuda on the wrangka and the helmet style handle. Could the Madura people have made this one? most certainly but have they? I would certainly like to see if anyone out there have seen anything like it before. Or can recognise the stylistic elements of this dress and the culture from where it originates.