Javanese Keris

A. G. Maisey · 18th September 2016, 02:22 PM

East Jawa.

The timoho is probably genuine, not stained.

The dark markings in timoho are actually caused by disease in the tree, sometimes that disease results in a part of the black stained area going rotten and falling out. Genuine timoho is sometimes filled to patch these holes, as the dress becomes older and if it is not regularly maintained by a mranggi, the filling falls out.

Just as a blade needs to be maintained, if one wishes to keep old hilts and scabbards these also need to be maintained. A scabbard like this would be very seldom encountered in Jawa, because if the owner wanted to keep the scabbard rather than replace it, he would give it to a mranggi to repair and re-polish as soon as a defect was noticed.

I know that some collectors in the Western World treasure that which they regard as "patina", but this is not really acceptable in the keris bearing societies with which I am familiar.

Just as we do not wear a jacket that shows worn cuffs and elbows, or trousers that show a shiny seat, people in Jawa who have respect for themselves, their forebears, and their keris do not permit the keris dress to appear in a degraded condition.

This dress should be restored.

18th September 2016, 02:22 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	East Jawa. The timoho is probably genuine, not stained. The dark markings in timoho are actually caused by disease in the tree, sometimes that disease results in a part of the black stained area going rotten and falling out. Genuine timoho is sometimes filled to patch these holes, as the dress becomes older and if it is not regularly maintained by a mranggi, the filling falls out. Just as a blade needs to be maintained, if one wishes to keep old hilts and scabbards these also need to be maintained. A scabbard like this would be very seldom encountered in Jawa, because if the owner wanted to keep the scabbard rather than replace it, he would give it to a mranggi to repair and re-polish as soon as a defect was noticed. I know that some collectors in the Western World treasure that which they regard as "patina", but this is not really acceptable in the keris bearing societies with which I am familiar. Just as we do not wear a jacket that shows worn cuffs and elbows, or trousers that show a shiny seat, people in Jawa who have respect for themselves, their forebears, and their keris do not permit the keris dress to appear in a degraded condition. This dress should be restored.