Sukarno's keris gift to Fidel Castro

jagabuwana · 9th July 2020, 05:09 AM

Sometime in 1960, Sukarno went to Havana and met with Fidel Castro. It seems that he presented him with a keris as a gift. Given Sukarno's sympathy towards anti-colonial, anti-imperialist causes and struggles I would guess that he respected Fidel and that they could perhaps relate to each other as revolutionaries, and perhaps then this would have meant that the keris that was gifted to him was quite a good one.

The colour photo looks to be someone much older than Fidel but it appears to be the same keris. I'm not sure if it's from the same visit and the photo was colourised or if it's from a different event. But I digress...

EDIT: I had a sneaking suspicion that the colourised photo was photoshopped with a much older Fidel. Turns out to be true. God knows why. I have included the original photo underneath it.

EDIT 2: The second photo is also photoshopped. Am I so easily duped?

. Did any of this even happen other than in a talented photo forger's imagination?!

~~

As for the keris, I think it's luk 15 but I have trouble counting it due to the obstruction.

The base looks to be closer to a symmetrical, triangular arrangement, like what one would see on a sepang keris. There also appears to be kinatah.

What else can people distinguish about this keris, whether by sight or by any knowledge or research you have?

9th July 2020, 05:09 AM	#1
jagabuwana Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 280	Sukarno's keris gift to Fidel Castro Sometime in 1960, Sukarno went to Havana and met with Fidel Castro. It seems that he presented him with a keris as a gift. Given Sukarno's sympathy towards anti-colonial, anti-imperialist causes and struggles I would guess that he respected Fidel and that they could perhaps relate to each other as revolutionaries, and perhaps then this would have meant that the keris that was gifted to him was quite a good one. The colour photo looks to be someone much older than Fidel but it appears to be the same keris. I'm not sure if it's from the same visit and the photo was colourised or if it's from a different event. But I digress... EDIT: I had a sneaking suspicion that the colourised photo was photoshopped with a much older Fidel. Turns out to be true. God knows why. I have included the original photo underneath it. EDIT 2: The second photo is also photoshopped. Am I so easily duped? . Did any of this even happen other than in a talented photo forger's imagination?! ~~ As for the keris, I think it's luk 15 but I have trouble counting it due to the obstruction. The base looks to be closer to a symmetrical, triangular arrangement, like what one would see on a sepang keris. There also appears to be kinatah. What else can people distinguish about this keris, whether by sight or by any knowledge or research you have? Attached Images Last edited by jagabuwana; 9th July 2020 at 07:45 AM.