Keris Sundang Melayu with a parrot hilt

[VVV]

Originally Posted by Henk

Michael,

Nice and atractive kris. Still my first impression is that it is rather resent. At least the wood.
The parrot reminds me to the touristic rencongs that show up from time to time although this parrot is better executed.

Thanks Henk,

Unfortunately I had to use artificial light so the picture is a bit distorted regarding the patina and age of the wood.
But my estimate is also that it isn't 19th C, more probably around the beginning half of the 20th C.
The wood IRL looks a bit like the Keris Sundang Melayu in Tropen that they have on one of their postcards.
(The one with full silver hilt, same scabbard as mine but described as a Sulu Kris).

I haven't yet seen a rencong with a parrot hilt, only tumbuk ladas and a few sewars (and not all of them touristy)?

Frey's book, pict 19 a) and b), shows a quite resembling hilt motif. It's described as a hulu kakatua on a keris from
Perak in the collection of Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
And in van Duuren's The Kris there is also a Malay Keris with cockatoo hilt from Tropen in Amsterdam (p. 52).
Maybe mine comes from the same tourist shop in Medan as those?

Michael