"BATMAN" HILT - KERIS
 

This small Sumatran keris I acquired last year, caught my attention -- not only of its "patrem" size (20 cm without pesi, and 3 cm pesi), but also of its "batman" (spiderman?) hilt...
Could you tell the name of the "spider" hilt, please?

More close ups on the "batman" hilt...

An over-stylized balu mekabun. Or Durga hilt. Was yours' ivory?

I've seen one in The Invincible Kerises 2 by G. Vanna, pg 43.

I think yours are older that that of the book. However, both are finely carved and beautiful.

Whenever a balu mekabun presented like this, it's truly beautiful.

I agree: beautiful Sumatran hit.
M. Kerner said this hit could be Durga.

It is ivory. And almost half or 3/4 size compared to a normal Palembang hilt. But "balu mekabun" is not the real Palembang name, is it? (I know this word, in one recent interesting thread on hilts in this forum, in the beginning of this year...)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...5603#post95603
A balinese term for a hilt which "represents an abstract human figure" (mentioned by Guwaya in that interesting thread...)
But I don't think this term is used (or was used) by Palembang people... durga hilt. So what is the Palembang term for it?

GANJAWULUNG

Nobody in this forum has been to Palembang, it seems...

Beautiful hilt Ganjawulung. Here two hilts in the same style but plain, one from wood the other from horn or bone.

Sorry, i don't have the Palembang name of this hilt either, but it is certainly a common form from there. However, i see nothing in this hilt form that indicates is any way that it is meant to represent Durga. I don't see anything even mildly feminine in the form. Can anyone give any clear reference to where this idea might have come from. :shrug: :)

Not so sure of the origin of this 'balu mekabun' terms. I've seen this one particular hilt (attached picture) on ebay last year, also touted as 'balu mekabun'.

However, in Kris hilts book by Greffioz J, there are a couple hilts which are of the same design as yours, albeit in its original form without the nice carvings, which he relates as coming from south sumatera (bengkulu / palembang). It was associated with Durga.

Some say it can comes from Karimun Island as well.

I also heard some people called it 'Topengan' hilt.

Moshah, i have seen the hilt you have posted associated with Durga, but in some of our discussions in the past there has even been debate as to whether that was it's original intention or just an association laid upon it at a later time. At least it has some female features to it though for some justification. :)

LAMPUNG hilt?
 

Yes, still "at large..". But it is interesting to know, that Mr Harsrinuksmo had quite a lot of notes on Palembang keris, and some notes on its hilts in his Ensiklopedi Keris (2004). (I just don't want to involve in polemic on whether his book is a "reference" or "no-reference" on keris. I just want to appreciate that he had made some valuable "notes" on keris. I don't think his journalistic experience on Indonesian keris world while he was working at Berita Buana Weekly, had done nothing to this keris world...)

He didn't mention its name either. But according to his notes, this kind of hilt is not a Palembang hilt -- but a "Lampung" hilt. Usually, Lampung hilts were used for Palembang blades/kerises...

(I had been in Lampung for several times in the 70-s, not for keris purpose, but for reporting Javanese transmigrant lives in Way (River) Kambas, Way Seputih, Way Abung etc -- hundreds kilometer in the south of Palembang area...)
Yes, more male figure than durga... And to me, it is still questionable, whether this kind of hilt -- the stylized one, has details such as "garuda mungkur" in Malay term, or some certain naming in Palembang terms...

GANJAWULUNG

Yes, the plain figure is what Mr Harsrinuksma said as "Lampung" hilts which was usually used for Palembang kerises. (Picture below, of my collection)

According to Harsrinuksma's notes -- Palembang kerises were the best quality among Sumatran kerises in the past. Technically and artistically, more than Riau kerises, East Sumatran and Bangkinang.

The form of Palembang kerises, according to Harsrinuksma, was similar to the form of late Mataram in the era of Amangkurat in Jawa. Some of them, even almost similar with "keris nem-neman" (younger keris?) of Surakarta... But there were some differences, between Palembang kerises and Javanese, Maduran kerises -- the pesi was shorter and a little bigger than the Javanese...

According to his notes, there were still keris maker in Palembang in early 90-s, named Akim in Kampung 21 Ilir, Palembang. Akim was serving to make kerises for people around Palembang, and also Singapore and Johor. There was also, Anang, another Palembang keris maker who stayed in 18 Ilir Palembang in early 90-s. Both, according to Harsrinuksma's notes, were the "last" Palembang keris maker... After them, there were no more keris makers in Palembang...

His notes also mentioned, Palembang was probably the first area in Sumatra, which developped javanese keris making in this island. Thanked to the Pamalayu expedition -- (in the era of king Kertanegara of Singasari, East Jawa which had conquered the Melayu kingdom 1275 --- but of course, this must be studied further). The golden era of Palembang keris making, according to his notes, was in the era of Sultan Candilawang (1662-1706) -- (this also must be studied further, IMHO)... In the era of Sultan Candilawang, the keris culture was spread to other places in the archipelago, to west Kalimantan or Borneo, until Serawak (Malaysia now). And the other golden era of Palembang keris making, was in mid 19, in the same era (in Jawa) of king Paku Buwono VIII and IX in Surakarta and Hamengku Buwono VI and VII in Yogyakarta.

GANJAWULUNG

MORE close ups
 

These are more close ups of the plain hilt...

But still questionable, what was the real name of either this plain or stylized Lampung hilts? (As David said too), what did it represent?

GANJAWULUNG

salam to all,

Though this type of Palembang hilt doesnt really show its feminine nature, I still have to agree that it came from "gendheng permoni" hilt that Pak Ganja told us in another thread. Because the spread of Islam after Majapahit and Pajajaran were annexed by Demak and Cirebon/Tegal, in Jawanese speaking area we have the so-called nunggak semi, and in Sundanese speaking area, the rasaksa hilt is pretty much retained its original form with minor stylization.

Then, the first question should be -- Feminine? Or masculin figure? Thanks Penangsang...

On Durga and "Gendheng Permoni" you may see the old thread:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ndheng+permoni