Authentic Singha

[A. G. Maisey]

I think Gustav is asking for an opinion on where this blade was made and when.

Frankly, I'm not able to say where or when.

What I can say, and it is perhaps all I am able to say with reasonable certainty is that I cannot recall ever having seen a Javanese singo barong of this form, however, I have seen many cinthe attributed to Kymer culture, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Burma that are of very similar form to the singo on this blade.

The greneng/ rondha is not a usual Javanese form, and if I were to be shown the greneng divorced from the blade I would have no alternative but to say that it was not Javanese or Balinese.

All I am able to provide is negatives, ie, what is not applicable.

Do we have even a single example of a singo barong of this form that is beyond doubt of Javanese origin? It need not be on a keris, it could be anywhere. If we can find that one singo barong, then we have a place to start, in its absence, all we have is an opportunity to construct hypotheses.