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Old 5th June 2019, 04:27 PM   #1
Loedjoe
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Default A bronze Keris hilt - help needed to identify figure etc.

Bronze keris hilt, perhaps Javanese? 8 cm. Does it depict a priest or deity?
The right hand pointing upwards, resembling the Buddhistic 'Gesture of Protection' (abhaya). The left hand pointing downwards in a similar gesture; an elephant depicted at the base, on the front.
Any information from some of the many experts on the Forum would be welcome.
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Old 5th June 2019, 06:43 PM   #2
kai
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Hello Tim,

that's an unusual piece - certainly looks like a keris hilt!

Could you please post pics from all sides for a better appraisal?

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Kai
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Old 7th June 2019, 09:20 AM   #3
Jean
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I have no clue but it looks a very old and rare piece and probably javanese indeed.
Congratulations and best regards
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Old 7th June 2019, 12:48 PM   #4
A. G. Maisey
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I also cannot assist Tim, however, even though this hand position does resemble one or more Buddhist hand positions, I suspect it could be that to attach this hilt to a Buddhist relationship + a keris relationship might be the wrong way to go.

I have never seen representations of keris, nor of keris-like objects in a Buddhist setting, and since the keris is a symbol of Siwa, this is totally understandable.

So, if we opt for a Buddhist relationship we probably should remove the keris from the equation. Some other type of weapon, or even object, but not a keris.

Similarly, if we opt for a keris relationship maybe Buddha has got to leave the room.

We have an elephant + some other animal. Do we know what the other animal is?

If we were to understand the hand position as a Hindu, what might we be looking at?
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Old 7th June 2019, 08:59 PM   #5
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The face rather looks like a Hindu demon with bulging eyes than a Buddhist figure.
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Last edited by Jean; 8th June 2019 at 02:07 PM.
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Old 7th June 2019, 10:31 PM   #6
A. G. Maisey
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Are fangs visible?

Even very small rudimentary ones would do, but unless we have those we cannot begin to think "raksasa".
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