When is a keris legitimate?

[erikscollectables]

For my collection I have a preference for keris that have been in the Netherlands from the end of the Dutch Colonial period of Indonesia or before so 1950 or earlier - I think this concept is only used by some Dutch collectors and obviously is a "backward" way of thinking but it still stuck with me and applies to about 75% of the keris found here so not much of a limitation...and does not guarantee a legitimate keris in my own definition either...

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Erik, I cannot disagree with your idea of what entitles a keris to be regarded as legitimate, but as you have already mentioned, and as I believe we all understand, this definition that you have framed would need to be applied within a window of time.

In the case of the keris, at least in respect of the Javanese keris, the intended purpose of a keris can often be identified by application of the principles of tangguh. When applied by a person with a good understanding of how this system functions the determination of the classification can point the way towards the intended purpose of the keris.