Interesting Keris to share

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, there is a quite heavy touch of Madura there, and it is a possibility that the blade was made in Madura, but that blade is stylistically West Java, Segaluh, and yes, it is gonjo iras.

But it is not Segaluh sepuh, it is probably no earlier than second half 19th century, and at that time the pamor motif could have been produced anywhere.

The kepet (chape) is usually identified as a Madura feature, but it does also occur in East Jawa in general, and on the North Coast; the locket with its pronounced lis is Madura.

The hilt can be placed as Madura, but also North Coast and to the East, same with the mendak.

The gambar/atasan is a bit of a puzzle, I cannot recall ever having seen anything exactly the same, but the ones I have seen that were similar were placed on the North Coast; I have never seen anything that I could consider to be close to this in style from the Sumenep area of Madura, from other places in Madura I cannot say.

The gandar appears to be covered with leather. I am unable to associate this with any area of greater Java that I know, and I have difficulty in being able to place it as legitimate indigenous keris dress. But it is a very common feature in European scabbards.

Taking all the above into consideration and considering historical associations, it is my opinion that this keris and its dress fittings were made to order in East Jawa, possibly Madura, but for a person of European origin, most likely Dutch.