Featured Check out this Kris blade

I don’t know much about it, but it appears to be the original blade and made with a Damascus technique. I love the detail on the handle, and on the blade.

 

@Any Jewelry will be able to enlighten us all, looks like a nice one.

 

size is important.......always important......
the pic makes it look short but i'm thinking it's a pretty standard 6 wave....

but , yes.........we all defer to @Any Jewelry on this matter !!!!!!!!

 

It looks nicer than many we see.

 

Rusko, could you give the size?

And distorted, so there is no way I can say much about the keris proper.

Could you photograph it straight so we can see the keris as it is? And please photos of both sides of the keris (blade) so I can see the pamor, or damascene pattern.

Probably a result of the photo, I count 9 luk (waves). The number of luk should be odd, not even. Only very occasionally do you see a Dukun or Shaman's keris with an even number.

Right now it looks like an antique keris from West Madura, the country of my ancestors.
Madura is a former kingdom/sultanate on a group of islands that lie north of East Java and Bali. The main island is also called Madura, and it looks like this is from the western part of that island. (Are you still with me? )
It is a good keris (the blade). Nice detail on the base, which means it goes beyond village level.
Does the keris fit in the sheath? It looks like it sticks out a bit more than usual. Could you post a photo of it completely in the sheath?

Assuming it is Madurese and not a Madura-East Java marriage, the following:
The ship of the sheath is called a 'ladrangan sukun', named after the shape of a leaf. Madurese often relate shapes of objects to plants and flowers.
The hilt should face the other way, always towards the short end of the ship, whatever the origin of the keris. Highly carved hilts can face more to the side of the ship, but never to the long end.
The hilt is a regular 'nunggak semi' or sprouting trunk type. The nunggak semi originated in Demak on the north coast of Java, but it is used in most of Java and in West Madura.
Madurese kerises usually have intricately carved hilts, but this simple type is also found in West Madura.
The black lines are painted on to suggest a more prestigious type of wood.
The hilt ring is of a classic Madurese shape called 'angkup randu', it is probably copper. Old angkup randus like this are hard to come by, don't ever change it for one of those Javanese bling ones.

Looking forward to more photos.

 

I have no luck counting Luks..........

& I didn't look close enuf at the base of the blade......

Sorry Teacher....I should know better !!!

 

Wow I’ve learned so much! Thank you. I will get some more photos tomorrow. I can’t wait to learn more

 

Okay here are the new pictures, sorry it took so long. Days get busy with my job and my baby. I tried to get everything, both sides of the blade, the length, the blade in the guard, etc. thanks so much!

 

Got some more here

 

Can’t wait to learn more! If you need anymore let me know

 

much better pics......................and the length is.............................?

 

Looks like 15 inches give or take.

 

That effect of the blended metals is called "watering".

 

Thanks Rusko, that is much better, now I can see the keris itself.
So here it goes:

The keris and sheath combo is a marriage. The sheath is West Madurese, as I said before, and it wasn't made for this keris.
A Madurese wavy keris always looks like it has a little trouble starting the waves (luk). From the base up it has a longer straight part than keris from other regions, and then it finally decides to start the waves.

The keris (blade) is Javanese, probably from the North Coast of Java. The shape of the base of a North Coast keris usually looks like a near perfect triangle, especially compared to keris from other regions.
As I said before, the keris goes beyond village level. The carving of the details on the base is good and done with care. I always love it when a keris has a nice little 'elephant trunk' on the base.

The keris is related to Asian ceremonial daggers.
The purpose of most Javanese and Madurese kerises is to complement the owner's personality, enhance the good aspects, curtail the bad ones, and support the owner in developing his or her personality for the better. A keris was made specifically for the first owner, but that doesn't mean you can't own this keris.

The pamor (damascene pattern) on your keris is called 'kulit semangka', watermelon skin. It is thought to promote social skills and facilitate an easy way to make a living. It is a pamor that has no restrictions, which means you are allowed to have it.
There are nine luk or waves, said to enhance the owner's ambition and help in a career. Nine is also towards the higher end of the luk scale, meaning there is likely to be a spiritual aspect to the owner's life.

The hilt ring is indeed a Madurese angkup randu.
The hilt is of the usual nunggak semi or sprouting tree trunk type. The background of the nunggak semi has to do with royal succession:

A very important period in Javanese history, and Southeast Asian history in general, was during the maritime empire of Majapahit, East Java. The House of Brawijaya of Majapahit ruled over much of SE Asia from 1293-ca 1500.
After the fall of the empire, two branches of the royal family remained. One was the House of Demak, on Java's North Coast, and the other the House of Cakraningrat of Madura (my ancestors).
But another powerful family, in Central Java, stole the Majapahit crown jewels and claimed the right of succession.
The House of Demak wasn't as strong as Central Java, but as a protest it illustrated it's legitimate rights through a new type keris hilt, the one with two masks. One mask symbolizes the House of Brawijaya of Majapahit, and the other the House of Demak. The name nunggak semi means sprouting tree trunk, a new sprout (Demak) to an old trunk (Majapahit).
The Central Javanese family became the most powerful in Indonesia, thanks to the support of the newly arrived Dutch East India Company. But Demak's small act of protest through a simple hilt spread to other parts of Java, and the Demak nunggak semi is the most popular keris hilt to this day, even in Central Java.

 

That’s amazing, thanks for sharing your knowledge. This has been my favorite piece for awhile. Interesting how the sheath wasn’t made for this, I always thought the wood matched so well, they just found a good fit I suppose. I would have never known.

 

Forgot to say, the ship of the sheath is one for formal or festive occasions. For everyday wear the ship would be more kidney-shaped.

I think both the hilt and the sheath are painted to resemble a very prestigious wood called barabar in Madurese. It used to be reserved for members of the Madurese royal family (of which there were many).
The wood is called awar-awar or kayu tulis in Indonesian, written or drawn wood, because it looks like the fine lines were drawn with a pen.

Here are two genuine Madurese barabar wood items from my collection, a sheath with tumenggunan hilt (regent's hilt) and a hilt on a woman's keris that once belonged to a relative:




Here are some signs that you are dealing with genuine barabar wood.
On the sheath you can see a slight colour difference on either side of the dark line:


On the hilt you can see that the size of the grain is slightly different on either side of the dark line:

 

This is the shape for everyday use:


It is a different wood though, this is a rare wood called kayu pelet.

 

Amazing,
Those are some beautiful pieces you have and the first photo boat looks really similar to what I have. Sorry if you mentioned this before but from what age do you think this is from? How old is this sword?
I really loved learning about this I went from knowing literally nothing to knowing a good amount! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this knowledge with me.

 

All parts are antique. The painted wood is more likely 19th century than 18th.

Very difficult to say, even keris blade experts speak in terms of estimates. I know more about styles and symbolism than about dating metal.

Have you been able to turn the hilt the other way yet? Or is it stuck?