Small Keris, Minangkabau?
 

Just buy this keris. I think that it is a Minangkabau but not really sure. What is your opinion?
Thank's in advance,
sajen

Here some more pictures from the seller. Oversheat seems incomplete or not original. The handle he write me is very heavy, maybe from horn. Selut maybe from Suasa (?). Lenght complete 12,5 inch / 31,75 cm, blade 6,25 inch / 15,9 cm.
Regards,
sajen

Can we have a close up of the blade, please. The blade form seems to be of Minangkabau worksmanship.. The hilt, I'm not too sure.. :D

Hello Alam,
until now I don't have other pictures, they all from the seller. A similar hilt is to see at Jensens Kris disc, chapter 9.3, picture 173b by a keris from Aceh. The hilt is old javanese style, nunggak semi type.
sajen

Sorry, still one picture I have.

Thanks for the close-up pic.. looks crude, later works, perhaps?

My example of this blade form..
http://alamshah.fotopic.net/c1031764_1.html

Hello Alam,

yes, the blade looks a little bit crude. But I have the hope that it is better in real, like yours or nine from this thread:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8160

Interesting in my opinion is the handle. Not only at Jensens Kris disc I have seen a keris from Sumatra with this form of handle also somewhere else but can't remember excatly where. Some other examples from members with this handle form?
Regards,
sajen

Sajen the same Sumatra handle is in Tammens work (De Kris 3) at pag.190.
(Also i think the hit is from central jawa)

Hello Sajen,

I'm afraid, too, that the blade seems to be modern; haven't seen such an extended ganja around the pesi yet. Also the workmanship on pendokok doesn't look very promising to me.

The hilt does look nice though - also remembered those references already given.

Regards,
Kai

Your other blade is a good example of that form. This blade is not of the same worksmanship and quality, i'm afraid. :(

As for the hilt, I'm of the opinion that it's a tunggak semi form originated from Java but maybe made locally without the patra. What material is the hilt? Perhaps later you can post picture from the base of the hilt.

I still have the hope that the blade better then it seems to be in the picture, we will see when it received, the sheat look very old and I have the hope the blade as well. About the hilt the seller only write me that it is maybe iron wood because it is very heavy. The complete keris don't have been to expensive so I let surprise myself about all. I have had the hope that it is maybe a Gayo keris because the hilt and the unsual sheat and for the hilt I think that it could be like this. See inside Kris disc and also the example like Marco write in the book from Tammens. We will see!? :confused:
sajen

Today I received the keris, all seems to my eyes old and original. Very nice and good patinated horn hilt, pendokok from copper is not the finest work but old and ok. The blade is a little bit crude worked and have been polished by someone. In the area of the pejetan/gandik and kembang kacang is overpolished corrosion. The ganja is maybe from newer date but fits well to the blade. All crude worked but the ganja is more crude. The blade fits well inside the sheat. Sheat byself is also well patinated. The pendok from low grade silver is also old and in the upper part gone. Someone closed the place where gandar and warangka come together with material from the broken pendok and it seems that this happened already in Indonesia. It's not glued with modern adhesive. The missing part of the pendok will be the biggest problem to give the keris back a nice look. The hilt is not removeable from the peksi. At last I am not unhappy with this buy. I will post pictures later.
sajen

Here the pics!

Why did you remove the metal band at the top of the gandar and the part of the metal on the pendok? :shrug:

Hello David,
it was very crudely done and don't fit in the back, I want to give the wooden part a polish with steel-wool and after this a polish with antique wax. I think that this will look better. But when the result not good; I still keep the metal.
what's your opinion now about the keris?
sajen

Hello All,

the blade is now cleaned and blackened again. The metal bands i have had removed before I put on again. The blade is indeed crudely worked, look the pictures together with a similar blade I have. But I don't think that the blade is a recent work but maybe not so old like the other one. There have been to much deep corrosion. All in all not the best and finest Minangkabau keris I have.
At last a family picture with my other small Minang keris.

sajen