First Post - Identification Assistance Much Appreciated

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, this is a Sombro.

We do not apply tangguh indicators to this form of keris, Keris Sombro is sufficient.

Within Javanese culture & society these keris are considered to be amulets, people seem to have varying ideas about what their talismanic qualities are except that these are invariably positive, however, it does seem to be universally recognised that they will assist in childbirth.

[Sajen]

Yes, clearly a keris Sombro.

The handle looks in your new pictures much better. The mendak (the ring) is a little bit damaged but I would still use it until you find a better one.

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

I agree with all here. Hilt may not be "new", but contemporary. As for origin, Jawa, hilt might be East Jawa.

[oariff]

Thanks for the info Alan, David and Sajen.

If one were to be conservative, how old would a blade like this be?

Cheers.

[David]

Originally Posted by oariff

Thanks for the info Alan, David and Sajen.

If one were to be conservative, how old would a blade like this be?

Cheers.

That's always a very difficult question, especially with this type of keris because it has very very stylistic indicators. Your keris does seem to present itself as being very old just from the nature of the erosion on the edges and tip. If it were to be a keris that was actually made by the legendary Empu Nyai Mbok Sombro it would date back to the 13th century Pajajaran kingdom of West Jawa. But the name Keris Sombro has become a style rather than an attribution and there is no real way to determine if this keris was an origin Sombro keris. I would say that it is certainly very old and if you want to be conservative you might say 15th century? Of course the dress in much, much newer.

[oariff]

Originally Posted by David

That's always a very difficult question, especially with this type of keris because it has very very stylistic indicators. Your keris does seem to present itself as being very old just from the nature of the erosion on the edges and tip. If it were to be a keris that was actually made by the legendary Empu Nyai Mbok Sombro it would date back to the 13th century Pajajaran kingdom of West Jawa. But the name Keris Sombro has become a style rather than an attribution and there is no real way to determine if this keris was an origin Sombro keris. I would say that it is certainly very old and if you want to be conservative you might say 15th century? Of course the dress in much, much newer.

Thanks David. Just wondering - Lets say it was Mbok's keris. Taking into consideration her life span, tools, materials etc, how many of these sombro"s would she have produced in her Empu journey.

Would it perhaps be better for me to display this sombro without the hilt and sheath? or will that be considered to be against keris protocol?

[David]

Originally Posted by oariff

Thanks David. Just wondering - Lets say it was Mbok's keris. Taking into consideration her life span, tools, materials etc, how many of these sombro"s would she have produced in her Empu journey.

Would it perhaps be better for me to display this sombro without the hilt and sheath? or will that be considered to be against keris protocol?

Nyai Mbok would be an honorific meaning a senior/elder woman/mother, not her actual name. The question of how many of these keris could have been made in Empu Sombro's lifetime is one i am afraid i could not answer. The stories about her say that she carried these keris threaded on a string to market or around the area to sell them, so that would imply that she had many to sell at a time, and these are rather simply constructed keris that probably did not take a great deal of time to forge. So i suppose she could have sold hundreds of these keris in her lifetime. But who knows. These many stories and legends about her, the most fantastic being that she quenched her blades with her labia. Image doing that hundreds of times! When we deal with stories this old it is impossible to verify much. This is why we say that keris of this form are called Keris Sombro, though that doesn't necessarily mean they were all (if any) actually created by the legendary female Empu.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by oariff

Would it perhaps be better for me to display this sombro without the hilt and sheath? or will that be considered to be against keris protocol?

The one I've shown I display without scabbard and handle, I have another one which has scabbard and handle. I think it's your choice!

Regards,
Detlef