Quote:
Originally Posted by HughChen
Thank you for your showing of the €42,000 one. The blade seems much shorter than the scabbard. Does it indicate a wrong match or the blade had been repired before? Does anyone have some comments on this one?
|
I could be wrong here, but my understanding if that keris in Bali are traditionally worn at the back so that the hilt rises up over the shoulder. In order to make wearing a keris in this manner practical it would be necessary for the dress to be a certain length regardless of the actual length of the blade. In my own collection i have a very short blade (by Bali standards) 13 inch blade in a sarung that is 21.5 inches long. It is very clear that the sarung was made specifically for this blade and equally clear that the blade has never been shortened. So it seems logical to my mind that the length of Balinese dress is more dictated by the manner in which the keris is worn in Bali than by the actual length of the blade.