Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Keris Warung Kopi

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 15th January 2015, 10:38 PM   #1
krissman
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Default Corrosion on gilded keris blade

Several of my keris blades display gilded naga motifs. One of them is showing copper sulfate corrosion between the gilding and the iron. I have been able to remove the corrosion from one side fairly easily with toluene on cotton swabs but thought before doing the other I would ask if there might be some better or safer method. Also, I would appreciate learning how future corrosion might be prevented. Finally, I am wondering if the "gilding" on this blade might in fact be brass, not gold. Two images are attached. One shows the hilt and the other shows a section of the blade where corrosion can be seen. If anyone has any thoughts, I would be grateful to have them.

This is my first post with photos. I cannot tell if they will come through. If they don't I will try again. Thanks for bearing with me.
Attached Images
  
krissman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th January 2015, 12:30 AM   #2
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,107
Default

Welcome to the forum Krissman.
Alas i must say that the reason for what you call copper sulfate corrosion is in all likelihood because the gilding is not gold. This is a fairly low level keris of the type generally sold in markets and shops as souvenirs. They generally do not employ real kinatah (gold decoration). This could be brass or copper. So considering that i don't think you need to worry too much for the safety of the blade or the "gilding".
Once cleaned you may be able to prevent re-occurance of the corrosion by keeping the blades well oiled.
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17th January 2015, 02:16 AM   #3
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,206
Default

The hue of the yellow metal to me looks like brass. David is right, I have seen this on keris made for the market.

Of course this is why you are seeing green patina - the copper oxidation due to the copper that is a component of brass.
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th January 2015, 09:45 PM   #4
krissman
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Default

Thank you for the input. I suspected the piece was not old or "authentic" but paid for it accordingly. Since posting, I have gone ahead and successfully used the toluene to remove the corrosion and coated the blade with Ballistol which is used by gun enthusiasts for protecting steel and brass. We'll see how well that works out long term.

I do have to ask this though. When a blade has real gold on it, how is it applied? When electroplating gold, it is common to first plate the piece with copper and then plate it with gold. How was gold applied traditionally in Indonesia and how is it applied today? Was it fire gilded using mercury?

Thanks.
krissman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2015, 02:57 AM   #5
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,107
Default

I believe that there are a few methods for gold attachment to a keris (kinatah). I am afraid i am not the best person to accurately describe the processes. Alan???
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2015, 06:05 AM   #6
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,868
Default

Yes, fire gilding was used, and maybe still is used. There was an old bloke in Solo who was doing it up until a few years ago I don't know if he still is.

Kinatah work has several levels of quality, and I doubt that I know them all.

Probably the very best is the method where the steel is carved to approximate shape, then fairly heavy gold is applied over the carving in a similar fashion to koftgari work, and that gold is then carved with the motif.

Then there is the work that is essentially koftgari, and uses gold of about the same weight as other koftgari.

Then we have the cheapy stuff where thin gold sheet is glued over the steel. I've seen really old work done like this and using a heavy sort of natural resin, but these days they use a modern glue, I don't know exactly what, but my guess would be Alteco, a super-glue.

Oh yes, there's another way of doing it where a hole with undercut sides is cut in the steel, then a gold plug is hammered into the hole, leaving a mass of gold on the blade surface, this external gold is then carved with the motif.

I have seen parts of all these processes, but I do not know any of them in detail.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2015, 07:19 AM   #7
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,107
Default

Thanks Alan, that's at least an overview.
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th February 2015, 12:55 AM   #8
krissman
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Default

Thanks for all the good information. Fire gilding is what I imagined was used the most and hadn't thought about the koftgari and "plug" methods. They all make sense.
krissman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29th May 2024, 08:15 PM   #9
oariff
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 52
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey View Post
Yes, fire gilding was used, and maybe still is used. There was an old bloke in Solo who was doing it up until a few years ago I don't know if he still is.

Kinatah work has several levels of quality, and I doubt that I know them all.

Probably the very best is the method where the steel is carved to approximate shape, then fairly heavy gold is applied over the carving in a similar fashion to koftgari work, and that gold is then carved with the motif.

Then there is the work that is essentially koftgari, and uses gold of about the same weight as other koftgari.

Then we have the cheapy stuff where thin gold sheet is glued over the steel. I've seen really old work done like this and using a heavy sort of natural resin, but these days they use a modern glue, I don't know exactly what, but my guess would be Alteco, a super-glue.

Oh yes, there's another way of doing it where a hole with undercut sides is cut in the steel, then a gold plug is hammered into the hole, leaving a mass of gold on the blade surface, this external gold is then carved with the motif.

I have seen parts of all these processes, but I do not know any of them in detail.
Hi Alan,

Which method do you think has been applied in this keris?
Has this particular kinatah on both sides have a name?
When gold was first introduced into keris - was it for show of power/wealth or was it more for Tuah? Or both?

Cheers.
Attached Images
   
oariff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29th May 2024, 10:26 PM   #10
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,868
Default

I think it is probably fire gilded, but this is an opinion based on a photo that has been viewed on a screen. Don't quote me.

I would call it lung-lungan = vines, maybe it has other names also.

I do not know when gold was first used on keris.

My opinion as to the reason for its use is that it would have been used as a hierarchical marker. Certainly not for any talismanic reason.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:52 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.