strange pamor

[A. G. Maisey]

Jean, I have needed to play with your photo so that I could see the blade properly, sorry, but it is simply not possible for me to adequately assess a blade in any orientation other than the one I have placed your blade into.

This blade is a very typical Madura blade:- the gandhik that seems as if it is sloping towards the center of the blade, the gandhik shape which tends to be cone-like, the wispy kembang kacang, the straight, awkward gonjo, the less than elegant pawakan, the clumsy uneven waves, the long point, the coarse material. Everything I can see here is typical of an old Madura blade.

The mendak in the top photo is also typical Madura.

The hilt I am not sure of, it looks Cirebon, I could change my mind with it in my hand.

We now have two keris attributed to Cirebon/North Jawa that I understand to be from Madura.

Why?

In my opinion because for some people at the present time a Cirebon attribution is extremely desirable, and a Madura attribution is close to poison.

Say "Madura" and the price goes down.

Say "Cirebon" and the price goes up.

Say "North Jawa" and neither thing happens, and you're no lying, because Madura is a part of East Jawa, and lays north of Jawa.

It is absolutely certain that the people who sell keris in Jawa know more than anybody else about keris. Much more. But they do not give free lessons.

Jean, I don't think this pamor was all that common, at least I haven't seen a lot of examples of it. I have only one excellent example, and I can remember selling one.I've seen maybe two photos of one. This particular interpretation of lawe is pretty scarce.