My first Keris.....but is it a good one??

[Henk]

David,

At least you are lucky finding a real keris blade in this keris. I saw this one to on ebay. I think as Alan pointed out that the carving isn't so bad on this one. These type of keris vary from a rather nice carved example with a real blade to a very quickly carved dress with a cut out blade from a sheet of metal with painted pamor. This is certainly tourist stuff. If you're lucky the precious jewels are glass beads.
These kind of keris are used in barong dances, also performed for tourists. I can imagine that during these performances this kind of keris are sold to the public.

[A. G. Maisey]

I don't think this form of dress was ever used in dances in Bali, except possibly in the dances specifically staged for tourists, as remarked by Henk.

I do not know exactly when this form of dress began to appear, but I have never seen any that I could estimate a pre-WWII age for. In the late 1960's I don't think I saw any of this dress around, but it did seem to become fairly prevalent during the 1970's. The early ones used old blades, and there were some pretty decent blades in some of them, but later ones did only use flat iron, with painted on pamor.In recent years I have not seen these in Bali, and I think they may not be being made any longer, which makes this form a worthwhile part of a collection.

On the subject of "tourist quality".
In Bali there is a very wide range of quality that is available to tourists.
Some is superb art, specifically produced for tourist consumption. Some is absolute junk.
Virtually all of the craft and art that we presently identify as "Balinese" is the product of the influence of European artists who went to live in Bali in the late pre-WWII period. The original Balinese art was and is not nearly so refined and not nearly so attractive to the western taste as is the type of thing that we are accustomed to identifying as "Balinese'.A good book on this subject is Urs Ramseyer--"Art and Craft of Bali".

In its application to the keris, the true "tourist quality" keris is a piece of flat iron, with or without painted on pamor.

Any keris that has a traditionally produced blade, whether old, recent, or brand new, is not able to be classified as "tourist". These keris are all a part of a continuing tradition.However, in the case of the keris under discussion, the blade is culturally correct, the dress is not.

David (mod) is absolutely correct when he says that this beautifully carved dress is not culturally correct. This is a product produced for visitors to Bali. However, Balinese men do not always wear culturally correct keris. The photo here was taken in 2007 on the eve of Hari Nyepi, in Kuta.Note the type of keris being worn.

Again David (mod) is correct when he says that the quality of the hilt of the keris under discussion is not particularly good, however, to replace it with a modern, well carved hilt could well cost more than the rest of the keris cost.

[asomotif]

Thread with a flat iron blade in similar dress :

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=tourist+bali

and a thread with old blade in similar 'tourist' dress :

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=tourist+bali

This last on I personally picked up from an estate sale and was probabaly collected 1960/1970's

[brekele]

I have no idea if this both kerises are including in keris tourist catagory, but the worked of pamor and warangka looks not bad (only quality of kinatah & mendak is a bit disturb). For beginner keris colector .....(like me), this is the best way to begin learning about keris before to go further to collect old ones.
They are looking good on the wall

[Marcokeris]

Originally Posted by brekele

I have no idea if this both kerises are including in keris tourist catagory, but the worked of pamor and warangka looks not bad (only quality of kinatah & mendak is a bit disturb). For beginner keris colector .....(like me), this is the best way to begin learning about keris before to go further to collect old ones.
They are looking good on the wall

I agree. Pamor Rante and Ron Genduru W. are really well made. But Kinatah (daphur) of these Madura kerises are....horrendous (of course is my opinion).
I don't think they are tourist kerises. I think they are for today indonesian people (indonesian people that don't know well keris culture)....maybe they used them in ceremony like wedding, anniversary ...
In the markets (pasar) is easy to find these kerises. On the contrary their sarongs are sober: usually sarongs are jointed with sparkling pendok pendok full of coloured stones (glass)

[katana]

Thank you all for your help and information for me the "Keris Newbie"

The keris has arrived

The blade is 13.5" long, edges are very sharp with definate pamor and is gongo iras. I think the carving is good quality and the blade fits the scabbard 'snugly'. Although the blade is 'real' ...is the pamor / blade of reasonable quality. All comments gratefully received. Thank you

Regards David

[Rick]

Well, using Javanese terms the pamor at the sorsoran looks sort of like Beras Wutah; the problem is the pattern is broken down the length of the Wilah .

I do not know what this effect is known as .
IMO a very nice pattern .

Rick

[Marcokeris]

Originally Posted by katana

Thank you all for your help and information for me the "Keris Newbie"

The keris has arrived

The blade is 13.5" long, edges are very sharp with definate pamor and is gongo iras. I think the carving is good quality and the blade fits the scabbard 'snugly'. Although the blade is 'real' ...is the pamor / blade of reasonable quality. All comments gratefully received. Thank you

Regards David

I like this pamor (and the blade too)!
How many luks (3 or 5)?
Why gongo iras?