Appreciation of a Bugis kind

[BluErf]

Haven't started any threads for a long time, so thought I'd do so and share pictures of a keris I acquired recently. Some of you would probably recognize it, even though I've changed the hilt and pendoko to something more appropriate.

Ok, this is straits Bugis keris blade, dressed in what I believe to be a Terengganu/Kelantan sheath. So accordingly, I've replaced the hilt it came with (which was probably a copy made by a Javanese/Madurese carver) with an old hilt of Terengganu/Kelantan origin. As to why this is a Terengganu/Kelantan sheath could be the subject of some discussion (if anyone is interested to go into). The sheath was made for the blade, given the very good fit and proportions, so the probability of it being a composite/put-together is small.

The blade is a simple sepokal form, but simply executed it is not. The overall look of the blade is harmonious and graceful.

The width of the blade reduces gradually from the base to the tip, but in a way that still gives it a "pregnant" look, and therefore a "substantial" and sturdy look.

The tip could have been re-shaped (probably due to the tip chipping off), but at any rate, the domed-shape tip is beautifully done, and complements the flowing lines in the rest of the blade, especially at the base.

The arc in the blade can be described as sweet and sublime. Look at some of the other sepokals around and you'd probably get what I'm saying. I especially like side of the blade that has the aring, because that's where the curve feeds into the aring, which has a nice curl-up at the end. The ganja flares out nicely from gandik to the aring side.

The pamor is non-contrasting, but has quite a few layers in it, and is well controlled within the centre of the blade. There is a "ujung gunung" at the base, as is common in most Bugis keris blades, however, the rest of the pamor can best be described as "adeg", which would make it a slighltly unusual combination (most common are ujung gunung + kulit semangka).

Handling-wise, the keris has a nice weight to it, not too heavy, but enough to give a good momentum to a thrust, and light enough for quick movements.

The kemuning used to make the sampir is a beautifully selected piece. The dark band tracing the curving top line of the sampir has been seen in a few examples, and invariably all sheaths of good or top-end kerises. The grain of the wood is tight, and has nice "kerinting" (or waviness). The sampir is also well-formed, with the right curves, not just from the front, but from the side as well.

A simple but "sedap" keris, not just visually, but when held in the hand. This last bit is important for a Bugis keris because a Bugis (I'd say Malay as well) keris is nothing without that practical aspect.

I hope you enjoy this keris as much as I do! I'm practically always carrying it around my apartment when I'm at home.

[drdavid]

Hi BluErf
this is a most elegant keris. The overall impression is one of quality. As you say the sampir is beautifully thought out and executed. What are the dimensions of the blade? I for one would be very interested to learn what indicates this is a Terengganu/Kelantan sheath
regards
Drdavid

[sipakatuo]

Very well executed blade. Thanks for sharing.

[Marcokeris]

A perfect simple harmony. One of the best of this kind i never seen

[Rick]

Originally Posted by drdavid

Hi BluErf
this is a most elegant keris. The overall impression is one of quality. As you say the sampir is beautifully thought out and executed. What are the dimensions of the blade? I for one would be very interested to learn what indicates this is a Terengganu/Kelantan sheath
regards
Drdavid

This would be a good time to discuss and identify the various regional scabbard styles .

Kai Wee , thanks for presenting such a simple and beautiful keris .

[VVV]

Nice clean fighting keris lines...
What's the size of it?

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

Gee whiz that blade looks familiar.

Rick, I think this thread might be useful for reference:-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...+keris+comment

[Rick]

Thanks Alan , I guess I missed that one .
I must have been busy waxing the forum floors or emptying the wastebaskets ...

[BluErf]

I give my thanks to Alan.

The blade is just shy of 13.5 inches. The width at the base of the blade where it meets the ganja is about 2.1 inches. Entire keris in sheath is about 17.7 inches long.

As to the Kelantan/Terengganu attribution, I must say that the sheath is very similar to some Sumatran examples. I attach pictures of 2 of the closest types for comparison.

Kelantan/Terengganu versions of this sheath form tend to be proportionally flatter than their Sumatran cousins. They also tend to be "boxier" in form, especially on the left-hand side (the lower left corner is more pronounced, less rounded). The 2 tips of the sampir (daunan) also tend to curve inwards to a lesser extent. You may have noticed that the first Sumatran keris seemed to be boxier, but you'd also notice that it is a lot broader - too broad for N Peninsula. This type is closer to the 'chieftain' style sheaths we commonly see from Sumatra.

Another identifying mark is the nature of the kemuning. N. Peninsula kemuning are more 'figured', with more patches of dark colouration on top of the regular golden brown colour. In contrast, Sumatran kemuning are a lot more homogenous, and tend to have wider bands of chatoyance. The first Sumatran keris below seemed to have such dark patching, but that is just an illusion - the sampir has a big crack across the front, and it has absorbed some oil through the crack, resulting in differential colour tones. Another clue is the tighter grains and more obvious white lines in the kumuning for N Peninsula kemuning. I reckon these differences in kemuning is attributable to differences in growing environment. Perhaps those kemuning in N Peninsula are subject to harsher growing conditions, hence, tighter grains (due to slower growth).

Beyond these features, which are readily described, there is also the 'feel' of the work. As I had mentioned before, the "air tangan" (literally "hand water") imparts a subtle sense of aesthetics that differentiates the work of tukang from the 2 regions. This one area can't be taught through words alone. One have to look at and handle numerous examples. And where you do that, you have to be sure that the kerises you're looking at are almost always from that region (e.g. going to Kelantan and Terengganu to look at Kelantanese/Terengganu kerises). Or else, you risk getting the wrong aesthetics ingrained into yourself.

Hope this helps. When I have time, I'd search for pictures of other Terengganu sheaths of this form for comparison.

[PenangsangII]

hi all!!!
Blue, what about the blade? Is it original Bugis influenced peninsular piece or from other islands of the archipelago?

[BluErf]

The Bugis were on both sides of the straits of Malacca, so this blade could have been forged on either side. The feel of the blade is rather different from blades forged by Malays, but Bugis influenced. So I'd say this is a Bugis blade.

Here's another Terengganu sepokal, but with a small Malay blade.

[BluErf]

For comparison, a Bugis sepokal, very similar to the title keris here, but dressed in Sumatra.

Btw, I have the hilt of this keris. May I know if any forum member has the rest of the keris, or know the whereabouts of the keris please!?

[BluErf]

And as promised, here're some pics of another Terengganu keris with sheath form similar to mine. But this particular example is top-of-class! Not my keris, sadly...

[A. G. Maisey]

In Jawa the classification of Bugis is reserved for blades that give an overall impression of form (pawakan) that is similar to a young bambu shoot, and that have flat faces with a bevel that declines sharply to the edge.

If these two indicators exist the blade is very probably going to be classified as a Bugis blade. There are a number of other indicators, and these can influence a final decision, but without the two I have mentioned, a blade will not be classified as Bugis, or more correctly, it may be classified as a sub-classification of Bugis, such as Bugis-Sumbawa, Bugis-Sumba, Bugis-Melayu, etc.

[VVV]

Alan,

Are there really Bugis Keris in Sumba, or do you mean Sumbawa?
I didn't know that they hade any keris culture there at all?
If Sumba, do you have any reference pictures.

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

I mean Bugis-Sumba, Bugis-Sumbawa, and Bugis-Whereverelsebugispeoplehavetouched.

Actually Michael, I have seen photos of people wearing keris in Sumba that look like Bugis keris---in the scabbard of course. I cannot remember where I've seen these pics, but if I do, I'll post copies here. I do not know if there was/is a keris culture there, but the keris seems to crop up in many places where it would be difficult to identify an attached culture.

There is one thing that should not be overlooked:- in my earlier post I reported a Javanese perspective, as that perspective has been related to me. This does not mean it is factual, it simply means that this is the opinion held by some people in Jawa. It is reality for the people who hold the opinion, or belief, but that reality may not be your reality.

[BluErf]

Yes, the hexagonal cross-section has often been cited as a trademark of Bugis blades. I would say it applies to many Malay keris blades of Bugis influence too.

In the world of Malay kerises, you have the Bugis-influenced blades, like the sepokal blades, and the wavy ones with kembang kacang and greneng.

You'd also have the pandai saras group of blades with diamond cross sections, as well as the carita and the melela.

There's also the panjang group of blades, including the bahari and anak alang.

Also, there are some very simple kerises with austere features, like a plain kembang kacang, jalen, gandik, ganja, and effectively a flat blade.

And then finally, you have the keris bethok (the short and broad leaf-shaped blades, like keris budi). (I don't have a pic)

[VVV]

Thanks for the explanation Alan.
It seems probable that if there was a Bugis colony somewhere on Sumba they would carry keris. What I was puzzled by was if there existed a specific distinct Sumba keris culture, like what was the case in Bima, Sumbawa.
Here is an example of the missing blade, debek/bethok, in Kai Wee's excellent Malay keris blade comparison.

Michael

[BluErf]

Thanks for completing the picture comparison, Michael. Just a clarification, a keris debek can also include a normal Malay keris that had been shortened or broken/reshaped. They are different from the bethok type of keris, which is purposely forged to be short and broad. A keris debek sheath is quite distinctive. I have one (no blade) and will take pictures to post online over the weekend. A keris bethok can be sheathed in normal Malay type of sheaths. Hope I don't cause further confusion!

I noticed the pictures in that post had somehow gone out of sequence. And I realized that the Malay blade with Bugis influence might not look so obvious, so I'm posting another one here, with more prominent greneng and janggut, and hexagonal cross-section (unfortunately, picture still doesn't show that last part well).