Silver and Horn Keris (?) from Malaysia
 

Hello! I'm sharing a souvenir that I purchased in Kuala Lumpur. I understand that it is not a true keris (it represents one) but I nonetheless find it to be a very interesting piece. I was told that it is used for ceremonial purposes (weddings, etc.) and I am interested to learn more about it.

The silver blade is 5.5 inches (14 cm) long with an overall length of 10 inches (25.4 cm). The hilt and scabbard are made of horn and decorated with silver.

Your comments would be most appreciated. Cheers!

Hello F. de Luzon,

have a look here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=selit

Regards,
Detlef

Thanks Detlef! It's around the same size as your samples. So they are "Keris Selit" or dress kerises. Very interesting!

Regards,

F. de Luzon

You're welcome F. de Luzon. :) Yes, I think it's a contemporary keris selit.

Regards,
Detlef

Well, size wise it is a keris selit, however, with that silver blade it is not really a keris. This may have been a presentation piece, but i would be surprised if it had any real ceremonial purpose. True keris are either iron or, in rare cases, bronze. A silver blade has no practical or metaphysical purpose in the keris world AFAIK.

Interesting thread, I attach the pics of 2 small krisses from my collection, the blade of the first one is 16 cm long and the other 23 cm, are they krisses selit?
Regards

Hi David,

you could be right, frankly said I haven't seen that the blade is from silver. On the other hand I doubt that for a Malay dress keris the blade material is important. :shrug:

Regards,
Detlef

Hello Jean,

think the first one is a patrem but the second will be a keris selit.

Regards,
Detlef

These keris-like objects with non-ferric blades are most definitely not keris.

They cannot be regarded as keris in any way.

They are a substitute for a keris.

If it is necessary to wear a keris as an item of dress, but one does not possess a keris, then very often a keris-like object is substituted for the keris. This object might have a silver blade, a pewter blade, a wooden blade, or as I once saw, a cardboard blade.

But it is not a keris.

Not in any way.

'Selit' in malay have several meanings. One of them is 'putting something in between something else'.... In this case inserting the keris when you wear it in the traditional malay clothing (by inserting the keris sheath in your 'samping'). Hence the term keris selit. You need a short keris with short sheath to be able to do this. You obviously can't wear a long Bali keris for example for this as the Malays wear their keris in front instead of at the back unlike the Javanese or Balinese.

Thank you for your comments gentlemen. I am enlightened.

Since it is not a keris, is it some kind of jewelry then?

Regards,

F. de Luzon

Well, i don't see how it cold be considered jewelry. I'd say most likely it is a presentation piece probably made to someone outside the culture or it was created as a souvenir made for those who travel for pleasure. I have a hard time seeing such an object as having any part in actual indigenous keris culture. :shrug:

Here is an example of keris selit for further reference.

Thanks David!


Regards,

F de Luzon