Is this a Kris Holder

peregrine · 7th October 2018, 03:22 AM

Can you please tell me if this is a Kris holder? If so, how old? Any additional information is appreciated?

Thank you.

David · 10th October 2018, 12:53 AM

Well, i've never seen this little fellow before as a keris holder, but that doesn't really mean anything as i have seen a few rather unique figures employed for the job. I think you should have shown it with a keris in place. I would image it is held in place by the two parts of the beard. Clever design. I quite like it.

Sajen · 10th October 2018, 09:29 PM

Whatever it is, it's rather recent!

A. G. Maisey · 10th October 2018, 10:25 PM

I do not recognise the style as anything that I can place.

Yes, I agree it does appear to be rather recent.

How tall is it?

What is the distance from the base hole to the middle of the upper support?

peregrine · 10th October 2018, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I do not recognise the style as anything that I can place.

Yes, I agree it does appear to be rather recent.

How tall is it?

What is the distance from the base hole to the middle of the upper support?

It's exactly 18 inches tall from the bottom of the base to the top ear. It's 5 inches from the base of the holder to his hands.

peregrine · 10th October 2018, 11:58 PM

It's 18 inches from the bottom base to the top ear and 5 inches from the base of the holder to the beard which acts as a cradle.

peregrine · 11th October 2018, 12:06 AM

Here is an additional picture. It doesn't look like it is a Keris cradle. However, I posted another cradle in my collection. Any thoughts on this one?
Thank you.

A. G. Maisey · 11th October 2018, 04:25 AM

The second one is typical Bali.

Here is a link to an academic paper that might be of interest, scroll down you'll find some good pics.

https://www.mhsl.uab.edu/dt/2010m/castillo.pdf

I guess the first one could operate as a keris holder, but I have no idea from where.

David · 11th October 2018, 11:15 AM

The size looks right and i don't know what else the configuration of the beard on this figure is supposed to hold if not a keris. Maybe some other type of weapon? Maybe a parasol?
But from my own perspective if you put a keris in it, it is now a keris holder. Perhaps not the most traditional attitude, but that is what i would use it for if it were mine.
As for age, i agree that this one might not be particularly old. Perhaps is might be vintage rather than antique, or perhaps not that old either. Again, i do not specifically collect holders for their own sake, but as a place to hold and display keris, so while it is nice to have an older and more traditional holder i personally don't mind strange one-off characters like this hanging around as long as they are useful to the purpose and i find them appealing. This little fellow is to my tastes and if he were mine i'd keep him around and put him to work.

josh stout · 14th October 2018, 01:17 AM

Interesting. It looks like a more modern version of the same thing I happen to use as a kris holder, only I also make mine wear a Chinese helmet.

I bought mine in 1993 in Yogya, and have no information on its age or provenance. It was in a shop of largely all the same type of statue, only mine was the least obscene and was also the smallest. All the others had giant phalluses, with their own heads and horns, and often another phallus coming out of the body of the one on the tip of the first phallus. I think there was one with five fold fractal phalluses. The statues were often life size or larger, appearing too large for the normal tourist stuff. I have never seen anything like them again.

David · 14th October 2018, 01:25 AM

It does seem to be a similar demon creature Josh. It seems yours was intended to hold something in both hands, though to does not look like the opening is wide enough to accommodate the width of a keris sheath.

josh stout · 14th October 2018, 02:37 AM

No, a keris could not fit in the hands. Really have no idea what it is. It is made to look like a single carving, but the joins are carefully hidden in the manner of things copying even older examples. I think someone once told me it might be Torajan, but it certainly does not look like an ancestor effigy.

7th October 2018, 03:22 AM	#1
peregrine Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 69	Is this a Kris Holder Can you please tell me if this is a Kris holder? If so, how old? Any additional information is appreciated? Thank you. Attached Images

10th October 2018, 11:58 PM	#6
peregrine Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 69	Measurements It's 18 inches from the bottom base to the top ear and 5 inches from the base of the holder to the beard which acts as a cradle.

11th October 2018, 12:06 AM	#7
peregrine Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 69	Additional Pictures Here is an additional picture. It doesn't look like it is a Keris cradle. However, I posted another cradle in my collection. Any thoughts on this one? Thank you. Attached Images

14th October 2018, 01:17 AM	#10
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	Interesting. It looks like a more modern version of the same thing I happen to use as a kris holder, only I also make mine wear a Chinese helmet. I bought mine in 1993 in Yogya, and have no information on its age or provenance. It was in a shop of largely all the same type of statue, only mine was the least obscene and was also the smallest. All the others had giant phalluses, with their own heads and horns, and often another phallus coming out of the body of the one on the tip of the first phallus. I think there was one with five fold fractal phalluses. The statues were often life size or larger, appearing too large for the normal tourist stuff. I have never seen anything like them again. Attached Images

10th October 2018, 12:53 AM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,123	Well, i've never seen this little fellow before as a keris holder, but that doesn't really mean anything as i have seen a few rather unique figures employed for the job. I think you should have shown it with a keris in place. I would image it is held in place by the two parts of the beard. Clever design. I quite like it.

10th October 2018, 09:29 PM	#3
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,781	Whatever it is, it's rather recent!

10th October 2018, 10:25 PM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	I do not recognise the style as anything that I can place. Yes, I agree it does appear to be rather recent. How tall is it? What is the distance from the base hole to the middle of the upper support?

11th October 2018, 04:25 AM	#8
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	The second one is typical Bali. Here is a link to an academic paper that might be of interest, scroll down you'll find some good pics. https://www.mhsl.uab.edu/dt/2010m/castillo.pdf I guess the first one could operate as a keris holder, but I have no idea from where.

11th October 2018, 11:15 AM	#9
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,123	The size looks right and i don't know what else the configuration of the beard on this figure is supposed to hold if not a keris. Maybe some other type of weapon? Maybe a parasol? But from my own perspective if you put a keris in it, it is now a keris holder. Perhaps not the most traditional attitude, but that is what i would use it for if it were mine. As for age, i agree that this one might not be particularly old. Perhaps is might be vintage rather than antique, or perhaps not that old either. Again, i do not specifically collect holders for their own sake, but as a place to hold and display keris, so while it is nice to have an older and more traditional holder i personally don't mind strange one-off characters like this hanging around as long as they are useful to the purpose and i find them appealing. This little fellow is to my tastes and if he were mine i'd keep him around and put him to work.

14th October 2018, 01:25 AM	#11
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,123	It does seem to be a similar demon creature Josh. It seems yours was intended to hold something in both hands, though to does not look like the opening is wide enough to accommodate the width of a keris sheath.

14th October 2018, 02:37 AM	#12
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	No, a keris could not fit in the hands. Really have no idea what it is. It is made to look like a single carving, but the joins are carefully hidden in the manner of things copying even older examples. I think someone once told me it might be Torajan, but it certainly does not look like an ancestor effigy.