Keris Sundang Melayu

[VVV]

Am I correct that this one is Peninsular Malay (based on hilt and sheath)?
If so I would appreciate comments from those who know more about it as this is my first one of this variation.

Michael

[PenangsangII]

I think it's peninsular's too, not only because of the perabut but also the blade. But the inscription on the blade suggests it's not peninsular aesthetic

[Alam Shah]

Here's mine... blade have some similarities, but hilt is different.
Any idea what is the hilt material? Hilt style from which region?

[VVV]

It seems as if Shahrial's sundang also has a blade motif resembling mine?
I haven't seen it on the few documented Malay sundang I have in books.

On the material mine is brass and another kind of wood than what is usually seen on Moro kris.
I like your hilt. It reminds me about this one that we have discussed before.

Michael

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

Here's mine... blade have some similarities, but hilt is different.
Any idea what is the hilt material? Hilt style from which region?

It looks like horn, probably rhino horn to me.

[Battara]

Originally Posted by PenangsangII

I think it's peninsular's too, not only because of the perabut but also the blade. But the inscription on the blade suggests it's not peninsular aesthetic

You are right, the engraving looks Moro. There were Moros who early on landed on the coast of the the peninsula and thus this could be the origin of the motif on this Malay piece.

[BluErf]

The greneng and kembang kacang form certainly does not look Moro. This could be a Malay Sundang from N. Borneo/Kalimantan.

I have this interesting piece, which you may have seen before -> A very long Bugis sepokal keris with sundang features, in a Sulawesi dress. Note the engraving at the base of the blade. Provides more anecdotal insight into spread of the Moro kris in the Malay world.

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by BluErf

The greneng and kembang kacang form certainly does not look Moro. This could be a Malay Sundang from N. Borneo/Kalimantan.

... Provides more anecdotal insight into spread of the Moro kris in the Malay world.

I agree with you on the possibility of Borneo/Kalimantan...

For more pics, please see (( here )).

[VVV]

Originally Posted by BluErf

The greneng and kembang kacang form certainly does not look Moro. This could be a Malay Sundang from N. Borneo/Kalimantan.

I have this interesting piece, which you may have seen before -> A very long Bugis sepokal keris with sundang features, in a Sulawesi dress. Note the engraving at the base of the blade. Provides more anecdotal insight into spread of the Moro kris in the Malay world.

Please clarify if you mean that it's mine, Shahrial's or both keris that could be either N Borneo or Kalimantan?
I haven't seen any large kris like this from Kalimantan?
And why do you think it's N. Borneo?

Your Bugis sundang is really interesting. As you know there are people claiming that the keris sundang originated in Sulawesi...

Michael

[PenangsangII]

I agree with the idea that kris sundang originationg from bugis land (that could include Borneo)

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by VVV

Please clarify if you mean that it's mine, Shahrial's or both keris that could be either N Borneo or Kalimantan?
I haven't seen any large kris like this from Kalimantan?
And why do you think it's N. Borneo?

Your Bugis sundang is really interesting. As you know there are people claiming that the keris sundang originated in Sulawesi...

Michael

Hi Michael,

Both krises are likely to have originated from N Borneo.

N. Borneo is quite close to the Sulu islands, which would be part of the Moro lands. So it is likely that there are some cross-overs in krises. There is a Malay sundang in the Asian Civilisations Museum which had a Malay style sheath (square sampir), attributed to N. Borneo. Unfortunately, I do not have my own pictures of it to share.

I just noticed that amongst the sundangs that have a Malay attribution, they are more likely to have the ron dha motif in the greneng, and the kembang kacang is longer and more pleasing than the Moro counterparts. There is also a trend that they are slightly smaller than the krises from the northern Moro lands. You can probably call this a difference in aesthetics.

I have not heard of the Bugis/Sundang attribution though, and apart from this weird piece of mine, I have not seen other examples. If the sundang originated from Sulawesi, where're the surviving examples?