SUMATRAN Keris
 

This is supposed to be a Sumatran keris, dressed in Palembang style. Is it in proper dress? I know some of you -- like Alamshah, Kai, BluErf and many others -- are mastering in Sumatran keris style, as well as Penninsular style too...

Thank you, in advance...

GANJAWULUNG

Hello Ganja,

the silver work look very nice. Is the complete sarung newly made?
sajen

IMHO this is a proper Palembang dress. Beautiful!!

Sajen,

I think this sarong is newly made, but well deserved to honor this keris.

Hello Henk,

no doubt that it is a very beautiful sarung and a good Palembang sheat. The only thing what I will change maybe when it's mine is the handle, a finely carved old one will be a good match to this great composition.
sajen

The hilt form is not quite correct; this one here looks lampung. Anyway, the form is also not classic lampung, and the wood is very funny. Maybe recently made outside of Sumatra.

The silver works looks like they were not made in Sumatra. Motifs and refinement are not congruent with the ones I see come out of Sumatra. The buntut of the pendok is especially unusual. I see a lot of Palembang style kerises with this kind of 'double hook' buntut, but mostly the new ones dressed in Madura/Java. I have not seen an old Palembang sheath with that kind of buntut. I have seen old kerises with similar type of 'double hook' buntut from Palembang, but they come from further up north in Minang/Gayo area.

The sheath looks like it could have been an original old Palembang sheath, but re-sanded, thus losing a lot of its crispness. I don't agree with this approach; I think having a good form is superior to having a buffed out new-looking surface.

sarong look like been retouch,,,sanding and polising.maybe palembang sarong..? :rolleyes:

Another debatable keris. Some would look at this as Minang piece eventhough the sampir (wrangka) is distinctively of Palembang style.

Dear BluErf,
Thank you a lot, for your objective comments. (Thank you too, to your comments: Sajen, Henk, Karset, Newsteel...).

Yes, the hilt is very recent one -- the seller told me about it. When I bought this 'sumatran' keris, I found the keris with this sheath and selut only and then the seller told me to wait some more days for the 'temporary' new hilt.

I thought the selut is 'lampung' style too. But really I don't know that the pendok and the motifs of the carving in the pendhok is not 'sumatran'. How could you differ the motifs between 'sumatran' and 'non-sumatran'? Is there any typical style of 'sumatran motif' details?

Again, thank you BluErf and all, for your useful comments...

GANJAWULUNG