Thank you Kai & Ian.
Ian, the rest of the stem section of the hilt is exactly the same as you can see in the photograph. Faceted hilts are very common in Indonesia, especially in Jawa, the dominant Javanese keris hilt is faceted, as is the hilt of the wedung, and the many small work knives of Jawa & Bali also frequently have faceted hilts.
Kai, I do have some info that relates to date & time of purchase in Indonesia, however, I wanted to keep this out of the discussion because what I am seeking is an opinion that can be substantiated, perhaps from authoritative source material.
In respect of carving quality, I would classify the quality of carving execution as high, but design as simple.
Similarly, the weapon itself must be kept out of discussion.
What I'm hoping for is somebody who has either lived in the area where this form is known, or visited it, or has seen the form published. An opinion that can be substantiated with evidence, or with logical argument.
If I were to accept simply the point of original acquisition as a reasonable indicator of origin I might opt for that place, but my mind does not work in this way.
However, I can state with some degree of certainty that this hilt does pre-date 1920, & that it was purchased in the area of the world that is now known as Indonesia.
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