The Sendai Keris

[Gustav]

Here two interesting links, which are an absolute must:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Masamune - about the famous daimyo of Sendai, one of the Japans christian daimyos, who sent this ambassy;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasekura_Tsunenaga

About Sendai Keris: it isn't clear, where exactly it was obtained. There are also a hypothesis, it was given to Tsunenaga in Spain (by Spanish king) or in Rome (by pope). Philppines is just another hypothesis.

Clear is, that such a weapon must be given by a very high rang person as a status symbol.

The most interesting thing, besides the keris himself (a magnificient keris with perfect details and early stile kinatah, also a figural hilt) is the sheath, where on atasan a symbol, which seems to be a christian one, is depicted, together with alas-alasan motifs on the gandar.

Somewhat better pictures are to be find in Jensen's Krisdisk.

[David]

Maybe this photo will help.

ADDED: Actually, nw that i look more closely, this is the same photo which Alan cropped just to show the keris....but at least it is a bit larger.

[Jim McDougall]

It is interesting to note that this same mission apparantly acquired one of the earliest provenanced examples of the kastane (in the familiar sinha hilt with makaras) of which I am aware. This early example kastane is also on display in the Sendai Museum, perhaps part of the same exhibit, with this material in "The Unique Kastane Sword in Japan" by Dr. P.H.D.H. DeSilva in an article from Nov. 15,1998 listed as in the "Sunday Observer". It notes that Tsunenaga was a vassal of the Daimyo of Sendai and left on the Keicho Mission in 1613, returning in 1620, noting visits to Mexico, Madrid and Rome.

As noted, details of provenance of this, as with the keris, seem a bit vague, and acquiring these suggest visits to these places but apparantly remain unclear.

[A. G. Maisey]

post deleted

to be continued

[Gustav]

Very interesting thing is, the blade of this most early Kastane seems to be an imported one, there should be an european monogram on it.

[A. G. Maisey]

Please accept my apologies for posting such inadequate images.

I find that I am unable to understand almost anything about a keris unless it is in a vertical orientation, rather than a horizontal orientation, in fact when I want to really look at a keris I download the image and change the orientation to that shown in this post.

Hopefully these images will be a little more useful.

[BluErf]

The hilt looks most interesting! I've seen something similar of recent manufacture, and I dismissed it as a newish design. According to the dealer, the hilt came from north coast of Java.

[Gustav]

The hilt is much more finer as it seems on the pictures.