Featured 3x Balinese Keris? Info needed.

I came across my first keris in the wild at an auction house local to me this week.
I've always known there's a lot of information and meaning surrounding them but i'm only after hours reading coming to the pros for help. I've wanted some in my collection for a long time.

I'm pretty sure at least 2 have Buta Nawa Sari souvineer hilts and sheathes but I'm so lost when it comes to pamor or even counting luk properly, and the other much larger keris...well i'll leave it all to you guys . Many thanks for any help.

I just realized I have to make images smaller gahhh i'll post more pics once done

 

Back with another as soon as resize. Thanks again for any help.

 

Now if they are just cheap tourist pieces thats fine. I'm cool with brutal honesty!
Thanks again,

 

Ohhh...me likey number 1
number 2...not so much
number 3....very tasty...!!

nice carving on the # 3 handle and sheath !!

Back later........after AJ has given a dissertation....

 

Hi Shane, you are right, the Buta Nawasari hilts are of the souvenir type. Not all Buta Nawasari hilt are though.

#1
In spite of its dress the first keris is a real keris, and Balinese. Sometimes those souvenir outfits contain a nice surprise.
It has 7 luk or waves/curves, which is good for lawyers and winning a debate (in a rather aggressive way). But it is also considered to give the owner an opportunity to move on to the spiritual side of life. It is up to the owner to decide.
The pamor is Kulit Semangka, 'water melon skin'.
A bit of copy and paste from another post written by yours truly:
'Kulit Semangka is a very popular pamor, and one of the easier ones to make, with 16-24 layers.
Kulit Semangka can be used by anyone (some pamors are reserved for specific professions), and is worn to promote easy social interaction and a way of making a living without too many difficulties.

Forging a good keris used to take time, even if it 'only' had 16 layers. Working on a good keris was only done on specific auspicious days, after long meditation.
Very few keris makers still work like that, which is why they are never considered master keris makers. They are not held in the same regard as the mystics called Empu Keris.'


#2
Is 100% souvenir, and not considered a keris. The pattern is etched in the blade.


#3
Is not Balinese, but Madurese with a Balinese hilt.
When luks seem to hesitate to get started, the blade starting (nearly) straight and then suddenly deciding it wants to be wavy, it is Madurese. Not all Madurese keris have this, but all keris that have it are Madurese.
The sheath is a Nongko Naga or Daunan Naga. Nongko is jackfruit, Daunan refers to the leaf shape of the long end of the ship. Naga is the dragon/snake decoration.
The general shape of the ship is centuries old, but the ones with the added Naga became very popular in the second half of the 20th century. They are rarely seen this way on antique sheaths. The old name of the ship is Nongko, Daunan is the current name, but you can come across both names.

The keris is a Keris Naga, 15 luk, a spiritual number which leads to excellence. The Naga looks like brass (not gold), it is very nicely made. Could you post a photo of the base of the blade, near the hilt? I would like to see the head of the Naga and the triangle at the centre of the blade, behind the curve of the Naga's body.

The pamor is Ilining Warih, also called Banyu Mili and various other names according to the region. It is a pamor you often see on 20th century Keris Naga. Like Kulit Semangka it promotes easy social interaction and a way of making a living without too many difficulties.
The hilt is a nice quality Balinese hilt which represents the Goddess Durga in her most terrible aspect.
The uwer/wewer or hilt ring is Balinese as well, brass with glass cabochons.

Óne thing about the third one.
This keris, beautiful though it is, has probably not been 'filled' in the traditional spiritual way. If so, it can't be used for anything spiritual. Some people are bothered by that.
Both keris and sheath were made in the second half of the 20th century in the village of Aeng Tongtong near Sumenep in East Madura (main island). Most recent Indonesian keris are made there.
The word Tongtong refers to the sound of the smith's hammers, Aeng means village in Madurese.
The Aeng Tongtong keris smiths make nice keris for collectors, weddings and other formal occasions, and souvenirs. They also work for keris innovators from other islands.

 

Just located one of my Naga-outfitted keris.
This is the type of hilt that goes with the Naga sheath. It doesn't always have the fancy selut or hilt cup, but it always has the mendak or hilt ring, which is the lower part of the metal decoration.

 

Just edited the part about the Balinese hilt on the Madurese keris. It is Durga, not Rangda, although Rangda is often seen as a manifestation of Durga.

 

Shane, just looking at your Durga hilt again, is it bone? Could you post closeups?

 

Honesty is what you'll get here.....as you've now seen !!

1 & 3 ...a nice start to a keris collection.
I knew number 2 , was indeed a number two...like poo .....and AJ didn't even bother with...but.....it's a good lesson as an item not to mistake for a real Keris !!!

like Meatloaf says..........2 outta 3 , ain't bad !!!!!

 

Such an amazing amount of knowledge! Thank you very much!
I shall post more photos later today after I play lawn bowls ,which I happen to be running very late for gahhh...
How does one know if a blade is filled spiritually? Can it only happen during the forge process? Also the TongTong bit of information is great, I've done 2yrs of the blacksmithing trade course down here in Australia...when I would leave for the course I would say "Ok i'm off to go tonking"..all because of the sound of the hammer makes on the anvil.

 

u need to stream ' Forged in Fire '......

 

@Shane Quill
Forged in Fire is alright for amusement purposes,but for complete info on blade smithing this forum has everything from experts ....... https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/

 

If you are sensitive to things spiritual/mystical, you can feel it. Otherwise ask someone who is. Old keris are filled, but often dormant until someone 'awakens' them.
Remember, they come from a culture where realities cross over into one another. The 'supernatural' is just natural in Indonesia. To many people even in modern hi-tech Indonesia.

It can happen afterwards as well, by a Dukun, a Shaman. That is the way it was done when a keris was made by a 'regular' keris smith, one who wasn't a mystic himself.
The true Empu Keris, or master keris smith, was such a mystic.
Because a good keris can only be made under auspicious circumstances and when an Empu has fasted, meditated, and generally prepared him/herself spiritually, it could take years before a good keris was finished.

 

Experts on blade smithing certainly. But not experts on keris.
The 'keris' some of them make, are skilfully made wavy blades with a damascene pattern. Some of them are beautifully made, but they can never be keris.

A keris is not a random wavy blade. For one, ca 60% of antique keris are straight, ca 40% have waves, from one wave onwards.
Pamor is not just a damascene pattern, it is an outward expression of the spiritual content.

A true keris is so much more than a blade. The most important thing is the spiritual content and spiritual and cultural connotation.
The keris (blade) works together with the owner, and is aided by the materials and designs of the 'dress': The sheath, the hilt, the hilt ring, and the wrapping of the peksi or tang. Every component has a spiritual content, especially the keris, sheath, and hilt. A specific hilt made from a specific kind of wood and a matching intention can even calm a fiesty blade.

 

I luv yer passion....!!!!

 

Pretty sure it's bone going off the colour and if you notice the rear of the head there's a porous texture kind of like bone near the marrow. I'm also currently working with Ivory as a spacer on part of a knife I'm making, it's quite different to the handle on the keris. Attaching photos you requested. Thanks so much again!

 

Could be deer or moose antler as they are used ...... http://www.balibonecraft.com/keris-handle/