You are right, it is pretty neat
Marco is correct in identifying the figure as a guardian temple. These are known as dwarapala (protector of the gate/door) or darmapala (protector of the darma). They are commonly found outside of Buddhist and Hindu temples in Asia. Of course the exact iconography can differ from place to place.
On the photos you can see dwarapala in Java, Bali and Thailand.
Of course, one could hypothesize that keris holders also have a protective function. I recall reading somewhere that - at least in Bali - they were placed near the door so that guests could deposit their keris there.