Keris and Hilt for Comment

[ganjawulung]

Dear All,

I obtained this (Bugis) keris this weekend. The blade and sheath, and separately the hilt, the hilt cup. I got too separately, six handles with motives. Is this Bugis with luks? I would like to have your comments, please...

Ganjawulung

[Henk]

Ganjawulung,

I hestitate a bit about this keris.

It is a lovely keris, that's for sure.

The sheath looks very Bugis to me, The ukiran is Sumatran but i doubt it is Bugis.
The keris itself isn't a Bugis blade but has a Javanese apearance.
Two possibilities. Javanese blades were highly apreciated and brought by sailors from Java to Sumatra. It is also known that keris blades on Sumatra were forged to Javanese origin.

That's why I hestitate to say this keris is Bugis. For the moment I would say Sumatra.

[ganjawulung]

Me too, Henk,

I hesitate to say that this is a correct Bugis composition. Frankly speaking, I got these keris' parts separately: the sheath and the blade, then the hilt. The hilt cup, I have kept this for quite a long time... I just try to compose it. So I need your comment on this composition...

Anyway, thanks a lot for your kind attention Henk...

Ganjawulung

[BluErf]

Hi,

Sheath is Sulawesi,

pendoko is Trengganu (N. Malay).

Hilt looks new, but there is a Sulawesi form like this as well. I think most forumnites must be thinking of the Riau Bugis form which is similar to this. But I think this form is more akin to Sulawesi. Jon posted a similar kind of hilt a while back.

Blade has been washed in hi-contrast manner akin to Javanese kerises, but I don't think it is Javanese. From the dapur, it could be Sumatran Bugis.

[BluErf]

Here's the link:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4601

There is a more similar example on Kampungnet, but I think the website may have "kicked the bucket" for good...

[BluErf]

Ok, here's the hilt on the Sulawesi keris belonging to Dave Henkel, which was on Kampungnet:

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by BluErf

...Sheath is Sulawesi,

pendoko is Trengganu (N. Malay).

Hilt looks new, but there is a Sulawesi form like this as well. I think most forumnites must be thinking of the Riau Bugis form which is similar to this. But I think this form is more akin to Sulawesi. Jon posted a similar kind of hilt a while back.

Yes, BluErf,

I think this sheath is Sulawesi. Pretty sure, Bugis. Pendoko? This is something new for me. Thank you for informing, that this pendoko is Northern Malay. The hilts, I don't think this is a new one. I have cleaned it, with tooth-brush-shampoo and then with auto-polish . Really, this is not new one. I just think this is original. The blade? Sure, not Javanese blade -- from the forging of pamor, and the details of keris.

The pamor, in Javanese term we call it "pamor tritikan" and not "untu walang" (grasshopper-teeth). But not as fine as Javanese pamor.

Thanks alot, BluErf. Very useful information from you...

Ganjawulung

[A. G. Maisey]

Ganja, would it be possible for you to do a close up of the sorsoran, and the pesi, I would especially like to see clearly the last , say, half inch of the pesi as it enters the gonjo.Thanks, Alan.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by BluErf

Hilt looks new, but there is a Sulawesi form like this as well. I think most forumnites must be thinking of the Riau Bugis form which is similar to this. But I think this form is more akin to Sulawesi. Jon posted a similar kind of hilt a while back.

BluErf,
This is the sole picture of the hilt. And please regard too, to the other picture I took from Mr Hamzuri book, "Petunjuk Singkat tentang Keris" (Short Guide on Keris) published by the Department of Education and Culture (1973). Mr Hamzuri showed to the readers a Riau Lingga (Sumatera) keris which appearance looks like Sulawesi keris...

Ganjawulung

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

BluErf,
This is the sole picture of the hilt. And please regard too, to the other picture I took from Mr Hamzuri book, "Petunjuk Singkat tentang Keris" (Short Guide on Keris) published by the Department of Education and Culture (1973). Mr Hamzuri showed to the readers a Riau Lingga (Sumatera) keris which appearance looks like Sulawesi keris...

Ganjawulung

Ganja, I've seen the picture from the book and had seen the hlit up-close, when it was loaned to Malay Heritage Centre (in Singapore), some time ago. Also featured on the front cover of the book, Court Arts of Indonesia.

The form is similar but not the same...

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

BluErf,
This is the sole picture of the hilt. And please regard too, to the other picture I took from Mr Hamzuri book, "Petunjuk Singkat tentang Keris" (Short Guide on Keris) published by the Department of Education and Culture (1973). Mr Hamzuri showed to the readers a Riau Lingga (Sumatera) keris which appearance looks like Sulawesi keris...

Ganjawulung

Hi Ganjawulung,

This keris you referred to is a famous keris, and it is an archetypal Riau Bugis keris. I would say it is the benchmark for all Riau Bugis kerises. Shahrial has a couple of Riau Bugis kerises with similar hilts. Perhaps Shahrial could post pics of his 2 keris hilts for comparison.

The reason why I think your keris hilt is Sulawesi rather than Riau was because of the pierced-through 'appendage' on the underside of the head and the more acute angle of bending of the head. The "appendage" is also present in the 2 examples I referred to above, but is not so obvious in Riau examples. The more acute angle of bending is a common feature in Sulawesi pistol-grip hilts.

However, I may be wrong. So if anyone has any information, references, please raise them. Thank you.