KERIS BUDA

1. A keris buda from the period 11th to 13th Century. No pamor is in evidence, and the laminated construction technique has not yet appeared.
2. A late keris buda. The blade is of early form, but laminated construction was used, and pamor is in evidence. This keris was probably made after the mid 14th Century, as a copy of an earlier piece.
3. Transitional form of keris. In this blade the emergence of the modern keris has begun. Some features of the keris buda are still in evidence, such as the square tang, high gandik, and broad gonjo. However, the tang, although still essentially square has a slight radius on its front and back, and the blade has lengthened, and become lighter. Close examination reveals residual traces of black iron with what appears to be an inclusion of nickelous material. The bulk of the blade material is heavily grained iron or steel, and as it retains much of its original form, indicates that the laminated outer skin would have been very thin. This blade appears to be an early attempt at laminated construction, and probably dates from 13th to 14th Century East Java.
4. A modern keris made in 1987, the blade executed in the Central Javanese Surakarta style.

All scholars seem to agree that the proto keris was of the Keris Buda type, which is characterized by a straight, short, wide and thick blade.

The earliest datable Keris, providing the date has not been added at a later period, is the famous Keris of Knaud dated 1342 AD

Two offering daggers were recently unearthed in Malang near Singgaraja and Janggala, East Java and dated from the 10th century. Thanks to volcanic ash, these daggers were very well preserved, including the bone and wooden hilts, therefore allowing a C14 test.

One of them has some of the Keris dapur shapes, such as a ganja, gandik, pejetan and ada-ada. It can therefore be associated with a Keris Budha. This would be the earliest known Keris Budha.

Janggala happens to be one of the places, which old Indonesian sources mention as being the cradle of the Keris.

"Journal of the Danish Arms & Armour Society"
(Vol 36, #7, Nov. 2003), Karsten Sejr Jensen