Molar hilt, sumatran keris for comments

[Gustav]

Dear All,

I know, you don't like molar hilts. The carving is crude, but the material sometimes interesting. Material of this one is not bad exposed (it has even an eye!). This is, why I own this strange combo.

The blade seems to be recently made (?), has a very smooth surface and nice song. Only the pesi looks a little bit older

The sheath is, of course, not original.

I apologise for the quality of pictures, I have done this for the first time myself.

Every comment is absolutely welcome, please, don't hesitate!

[Gustav]

The pictures.

[Battara]

I like molar hilts. Anyway, the reason the carvings seem cruder is that it is a very difficult material to carve. Needs an expert touch.

Molar has a history in Indonesia and even the Philippines as being from "dragons tooth" and has talismanic and magical properties.

Closeups of the hilt would be nice.

[Marcokeris]

Gustav
IMO a perfect combination
Also sarong is OK
Why the blade is new?? (...maybe ...because there is no contrast between the colour of steel and iron??)

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

Gustav
IMO a perfect combination
Also sarong is OK
Why the blade is new?? (...maybe ...because there is no contrast between the colour of steel and iron??)

Thank you very much, Marcokeris!

I have very little experience. When I see keris at Malay Art Gallery page or on some great threads here, there is the wear out on the edges etc. This blade seems to be much to perfect.

Only when I see the pesi, it seems to have some age... I really don't know.

But anyway, I don't like so much this high contrasting stain on a non javanese blade (if it isn't Madurese in this case, of course )

Any comments, please...

The blade is 32,6 cm (12,83 inches), pesi 5,3 (2,09).

[Gustav]

Some more pics. Tomorrow I will try to take some close-ups.

[A. G. Maisey]

I do not necessarily dislike geraham hilts.

They can be either good or bad, crude or refined. It is almost impossible to find a finely worked Javanese planar geraham hilt, but Bugis and Palembang styles are often quite finely worked. A couple of years ago I was offered two Bugis ones, that were as good as anything I have seen in ivory, regretably they were far too expensive, so I did not buy them.

The pic is of a geraham hilt on an odd little weapon in the Musium Radya Pustaka in Solo, Jawa Tengah. I've coveted this hilt since the first time I saw it more than 30 years ago.

Incidentally, that is not a new, or even recent, blade.

[Sajen]

Hi Gustav,

I also like molar hilts when they finely worked and this one seems from not bad quality. I also would like to see some closeups from the hilt. The blade don't look recent to my eyes and the pamor is very nice.

sajen

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I do not necessarily dislike geraham hilts.

They can be either good or bad, crude or refined. It is almost impossible to find a finely worked Javanese planar geraham hilt, but Bugis and Palembang styles are often quite finely worked. A couple of years ago I was offered two Bugis ones, that were as good as anything I have seen in ivory, regretably they were far too expensive, so I did not buy them.

The pic is of a geraham hilt on an odd little weapon in the Musium Radya Pustaka in Solo, Jawa Tengah. I've coveted this hilt since the first time I saw it more than 30 years ago.

Incidentally, that is not a new, or even recent, blade.

Dear Alan,

at the place, where my hilt has an eye, the hilt from museum shows a whole inscription!
A very interesting knife with very nice sheath. Funny to see these sort of tribal-art figures on the knife, the wayang (?) figure on the sheath and Jawa Demam as hilt, with javanese mendak.

And also, how similar the small figure on the knife and Jawa Demam are.