Mystery and very interesting keris hilt

[kai]

I would opine the hilt came from Selayar island or Buton....

Interesting suggestion - could you please post any pics of resembling hilts? TIA!

I'm with Alan that the hilt does have some age - maybe not antique but around WW2 or possibly first half of 20th c. sounds good to me.

The carving is pretty rough. I guess this is a village/DIY example which will be very tough to place unless we find a provenanced example with similar features: especially the rounded/curved gestalt seems noteworthy. Then again, this might just have been a shortcut...

Regards,
Kai

[A. G. Maisey]

David, I'm reading that light area as greyish wood caused by age and dirt. I feel that if this was brushed lightly and repeatedly with baby oil, with good hot-hand rubbings in between you'd have something that looked a lot different.

The carving is fairly crude, I'd guess somebody's work for himself.

As to age, I would not place it in the post WWII period. Wood that has not been subjected to sunlight can be very, very deceptive.

[Jean]

I would agree that this seems to be a village piece and probably about 50 years old (the peksi hole shows signs of wear and possibly repair). I have no clear idea about its origin but noticed an interesting detail: at the base of the right side (left on the picture), just above the tumpal motif, I can see a stylized leg, while on the other side it looks like a reversed curled foot or fish tail; this is similar to the decoration of the putrasatu hilts from East Java/ Madura (see typical specimen) so the hilt from Sajen may originate from this region. As an additional indication it would also be useful to know where it was found .

[Marcokeris]

IMHO from Sumbawa ... and not so old

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

IMHO from Sumbawa ... and not so old

Hello Marco,

good possible! Now we have Selayar, Madura and Sumbawa! As for the age: I have seen this hilt when I received it, be sure it have a good age.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

Here some additional pictures from the fresh oiled hilt. Special at the third picture is the black patination at the throat good visible. A patination like this you don't get in a few years.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Jean

I would agree that this seems to be a village piece and probably about 50 years old (the peksi hole shows signs of wear and possibly repair). I have no clear idea about its origin but noticed an interesting detail: at the base of the right side (left on the picture), just above the tumpal motif, I can see a stylized leg, while on the other side it looks like a reversed curled foot or fish tail; this is similar to the decoration of the putrasatu hilts from East Java/ Madura (see typical specimen) so the hilt from Sajen may originate from this region. As an additional indication it would also be useful to know where it was found .

Very good observation Jean! So I write in post #1 that you can see a stylized raksasa figure in it. BTW, I have had this hilt long time on a small Madura keris and it looked good.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

David, I'm reading that light area as greyish wood caused by age and dirt. I feel that if this was brushed lightly and repeatedly with baby oil, with good hot-hand rubbings in between you'd have something that looked a lot different.
As to age, I would not place it in the post WWII period. Wood that has not been subjected to sunlight can be very, very deceptive.

You meet the point! The hilt have had a thick dirt patination, when I received it the carving was not visible. The hilt get a cleaning and a brush with a wood oil. The hilt is placed inside a cabinet but with the years the carved out areas get this colour. It is out of question, this hilt have a good age, maybe not antique but old.