Pajang Keris

[maxbliss888]

ɬɧąŋƙʂ David,

Glad to know that it is not necessary a Keris used for execution as it will not be a comfortable idea to place this at home.

As this is a Pajang found in Thailand, is there any different from those from Indonesia?

[Jean]

Hello Max,
As David said this is a keris panjang (long) while Pajang used to be a short-lived Indonesian kingdom which raised after the Majapahit period (16th century) and also a reference style of javanese blade.
I attach the pics of 2 keris panjang supposedly originating from East Sumatra for comparison with yours.
Regards

[maxbliss888]

Hello Jean,

Thanks for the clarification.

Nice looking Keris you have there. Really like the one with silver embossed design..

[Jean]

Hello Max,
Thanks. As you see there are not very significant differences besides the carved decoration of the hilt & scabbard, and possibly the style of greneng and tikel alis. Please show us a picture of the base of the blade (sor-soran) for allowing a more detailed comparison.
Regards

[David]

Originally Posted by maxbliss888

As this is a Pajang found in Thailand, is there any different from those from Indonesia?

Max, i am really not quite certain of the origin of your keris panjang, but please be aware that simply because a keris is found in Thailand does not necessarily mean that it originated there.
The panjang form seems to have begun in Sumatra and migrated to the Peninsula areas. I am unaware of their use or status in Thailand. In fact i am not aware of Thailand having much keris culture of it's own to speak of so i would image that most keris blades found there did not originate there, but perhaps there was more blade production than i know. I think they are generally only found in the southern extremes of Thailand (the northern part of the Malay Peninsula).

[maxbliss888]

Hi!

The Keris were found from Southern Thailand and I am not sure it's origin. Perhaps it comes from Indonesia...

[David]

Originally Posted by maxbliss888

Perhaps it comes from Indonesia...

Better photos would be helpful including close-ups.

[kai]

Hello Max,

The scabbard and also the hilt do look like contemporary replacements of lesser quality; well possible these have been done locally in southern Thailand.

A close-up of the base of the blade would be really important to discuss the origin and age of the blade.

BTW, Jean's second blade does look unusual and a close-up of the base of the blade would also be very interesting!

Regards,
Kai

[Jean]

Originally Posted by kai

BTW, Jean's second blade does look unusual and a close-up of the base of the blade would also be very interesting!

Regards,
Kai

Hello Kai,
Pics of the base of the 2 blades as per your request. The blades may look brand new but they are not (originally covered with black rust and just cleaned in vinegar & scrubbed with kitchen cream).
Regards

[kai]

Hello Jean,

Thanks for the pics!

Pics of the base of the 2 blades as per your request. The blades may look brand new but they are not (originally covered with black rust and just cleaned in vinegar & scrubbed with kitchen cream).

Yes, 55A; you swapped the hilt though.

Have you tried to etch them? Usually, I prefer these blades to show some activity (even if limited as typical for the region and blade style).

The keris panjang with the wooden scabbard is a really sweet, typical example with well above-average blade and very nice hilt! The scroll work at the base is typical (note some loss to the greneng from long-time wear).

The example with silver-covered scabbard has a variant blade that I have a really tough time to place. Quite possibly from Sumatra and genuinely antique but I'm far from certain that all is Minang workmanship. BTW, which town does the provenance point to?

The greneng are based on the traditional layout but with some kinks; also the crisp short sogokan are really unusual. Has anyone seen anything similar?

Regards,
Kai