Bengkulu, Bugis, Or Malaysian Keris????

Bladder · 5th February 2006, 12:35 AM

Hi Guys,

I am new here, and hope can make new friends.

A week ago, a friend of mine gave me a keris. It used to be his father's.
Because his father passed away, and he does not have any interest in
keris, he gave the keris to me.

He did not give me any information about the keris, except that it maybe a
keris from Bengkulu. He does not know any other information about the
keris.

With my limited knowledge I found this information could be true. It looks
like a keris from Sumatra. The sheath looks like made of brass. The hilt
also looks made of brass (same material with the sheath). The blade looks
old, but I can not identify what pamor it is.

I attached 4 pictures of the keris.

Would you look at the pictures and tell me your opinion about the keris? Is it old? Where was it originated?

Thank you for your help.

Andreas

Alam Shah · 5th February 2006, 02:49 AM

Hi Bladder,
Welcome to the forum.

Better (clearer & brighter) and bigger pictures of the blade could assist in finding more info on it.

Henk · 5th February 2006, 08:12 AM

Bladder, welcome to the forum.

This keris comes from Sumatra and is probably Bugis. Did you try to clean the brass? Maybe you should try carefully on a small spot on the backside of the pendok. Then you can find out if the pendok and ukiran are brass or maybe even silver. Once i cleaned a very dirty handle of a Sumatran parang sold to me as brass. It turned out to be a parang with a silver handle.

Alam Shah is right some better pictures and detailed ones of the kerisblade can tell us more. My first impulse is that your kerisblade is javanese. Not uncommon because javanese blades where highly apreciated in the Sumatran area.

simatua · 5th February 2006, 08:42 AM

I agree with Henk its an Bugis (or Sulawesi) keris.
A nice webside showing some regional differences:
http://old.blades.free.fr

Although the photo's are not very sharp, it looks like a nice and complete keris.
take good care of it!. If you have planning cleaning it, i'll advice you to look in the old threads on this forum the DO'S and DON'S with cleaning and if you have a possibility testing first on a keris less value to you.

If you have some better photo's on the blade i'll appriciate it.

BluErf · 5th February 2006, 09:36 AM

Could be be a Javanese blade there. Dress is in Sulawesi style, but the brasswork on the sheath and hilt looks like those coming out of Java/Madura.

Alam Shah · 5th February 2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluErf

Could be be a Javanese blade there. Dress is in Sulawesi style, but the brasswork on the sheath and hilt looks like those coming out of Java/Madura.

Exactly, what I'm thinking. Hence the request to have better pictures of the blade.

Bladder · 5th February 2006, 07:54 PM

Hello again,

I attached 2 bigger pictures. But I'm sorry, my camera is not so good. I'm trying to get a better camera for better pictures.

I hope you guys could help identifying this keris.

Thanks!

nechesh · 5th February 2006, 09:35 PM

Welcome Bladder. I think this keris might be a fairly recent one. It doesn't seem to fit the Bugis bill for me regardless of the dress. I suspect this keris may have Madurese origins.

5th February 2006, 12:35 AM	#1
Bladder Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2	Bengkulu, Bugis, Or Malaysian Keris???? Hi Guys, I am new here, and hope can make new friends. A week ago, a friend of mine gave me a keris. It used to be his father's. Because his father passed away, and he does not have any interest in keris, he gave the keris to me. He did not give me any information about the keris, except that it maybe a keris from Bengkulu. He does not know any other information about the keris. With my limited knowledge I found this information could be true. It looks like a keris from Sumatra. The sheath looks like made of brass. The hilt also looks made of brass (same material with the sheath). The blade looks old, but I can not identify what pamor it is. I attached 4 pictures of the keris. Would you look at the pictures and tell me your opinion about the keris? Is it old? Where was it originated? Thank you for your help. Andreas Attached Images

5th February 2006, 02:49 AM	#2
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	Better picture... Hi Bladder, Welcome to the forum. Better (clearer & brighter) and bigger pictures of the blade could assist in finding more info on it.

5th February 2006, 07:54 PM	#7
Bladder Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2	Hello again, I attached 2 bigger pictures. But I'm sorry, my camera is not so good. I'm trying to get a better camera for better pictures. I hope you guys could help identifying this keris. Thanks! Attached Images

5th February 2006, 08:12 AM	#3
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Bladder, welcome to the forum. This keris comes from Sumatra and is probably Bugis. Did you try to clean the brass? Maybe you should try carefully on a small spot on the backside of the pendok. Then you can find out if the pendok and ukiran are brass or maybe even silver. Once i cleaned a very dirty handle of a Sumatran parang sold to me as brass. It turned out to be a parang with a silver handle. Alam Shah is right some better pictures and detailed ones of the kerisblade can tell us more. My first impulse is that your kerisblade is javanese. Not uncommon because javanese blades where highly apreciated in the Sumatran area.

5th February 2006, 08:42 AM	#4
simatua Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 69	I agree with Henk its an Bugis (or Sulawesi) keris. A nice webside showing some regional differences: http://old.blades.free.fr Although the photo's are not very sharp, it looks like a nice and complete keris. take good care of it!. If you have planning cleaning it, i'll advice you to look in the old threads on this forum the DO'S and DON'S with cleaning and if you have a possibility testing first on a keris less value to you. If you have some better photo's on the blade i'll appriciate it.

5th February 2006, 09:36 AM	#5
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Could be be a Javanese blade there. Dress is in Sulawesi style, but the brasswork on the sheath and hilt looks like those coming out of Java/Madura.

5th February 2006, 09:35 PM	#8
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Welcome Bladder. I think this keris might be a fairly recent one. It doesn't seem to fit the Bugis bill for me regardless of the dress. I suspect this keris may have Madurese origins.