Small Bugis Sepokal

Battara · 7th April 2018, 01:46 AM

Love this pamor! Thanks for posting!

Rick · 7th April 2018, 02:01 AM

The blade has a real purity of form.

Gustav · 7th April 2018, 11:48 AM

Thank you, Jose!

Rick, I feel the same. The blade, by all it's simplicity, is well shaped and evokes a harmonius and somehow "completed" feeling. I often regret the new makers tend to exuberant pieces - we never or very seldom see new pieces with this kind of self-evident character.

David · 7th April 2018, 06:57 PM

Would this serve as a keris selit then. It seems to me that keris patrem are not present in Bugis culture, but perhaps i am mistaken. Though i understand that keris selit are more a Peninsula thing. Anyone know the function of this keris in its culture of origin?
Nice blade btw. I quite like this little keris.

Gustav · 7th April 2018, 09:45 PM

Thank you, David.

The "dress Keris" theory is perhaps the most safe guess. There are many of such small Kerisses from Sulawesi around, but complex Pamor is seldom seen. I think, for a pure dress Keris (Selit) the blade ceases to be the most important part; so, if we see well crafted examples with more elaborate Pamor there perhaps is a possibility of an intended heirloom blade (as is mostly the case with Badik).

For example, in some editions of "Court Arts of Indonesia" a state Keris of Gowa is depicted - I attach a picture of it. The length of the blade is not given, yet it should be about 25-27 cm (the overall length in sheath about 40 cm).

Just to prove that there is a possibility of a small Bugis blade in a normal size sheath, there is another Keris, possibly also from Gowa (the attributions of Tropenmuseum are sometimes quite... adventurous), 27 cm, the overall length is given as 40 cm (Inv. Nr. RV-1526-39).

Jean · 8th April 2018, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Love this pamor! Thanks for posting!

Many of you seem to be highly impressed by the pamor pattern of this blade but frankly I am not. From the pictures it seems to me that the central "adeg" pamor line was added to fill the gap between the 2 welded sides (welding flaw or erosion?), but of course I accept that I could be wrong.
Regards

Gustav · 8th April 2018, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean

Many of you seem to be highly impressed by the pamor pattern of this blade but frankly I am not. From the pictures it seems to me that the central "adeg" pamor line was added to fill the gap between the 2 welded sides (welding flaw or erosion?), but of course I accept that I could be wrong.
Regards

Yes, and by the same occasion the guy who did it added also a stripe of it on spine of Gonjo. He had lots of time that day.

Sorry, but the welding flaw is in your eye, to paraphrase the saying.

Regards

Jean · 8th April 2018, 12:09 PM

Gustav,
Thank you for the detailed pic.
Regarding the hilt, this style is apparently called takala in South Sulawesi but yours has unusual carvings and I also doubt about the specific origin of Selayar island.
Regards

7th April 2018, 09:45 PM	#5
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,247	Thank you, David. The "dress Keris" theory is perhaps the most safe guess. There are many of such small Kerisses from Sulawesi around, but complex Pamor is seldom seen. I think, for a pure dress Keris (Selit) the blade ceases to be the most important part; so, if we see well crafted examples with more elaborate Pamor there perhaps is a possibility of an intended heirloom blade (as is mostly the case with Badik). For example, in some editions of "Court Arts of Indonesia" a state Keris of Gowa is depicted - I attach a picture of it. The length of the blade is not given, yet it should be about 25-27 cm (the overall length in sheath about 40 cm). Just to prove that there is a possibility of a small Bugis blade in a normal size sheath, there is another Keris, possibly also from Gowa (the attributions of Tropenmuseum are sometimes quite... adventurous), 27 cm, the overall length is given as 40 cm (Inv. Nr. RV-1526-39). Attached Images

8th April 2018, 12:09 PM	#8
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	Gustav, Thank you for the detailed pic. Regarding the hilt, this style is apparently called takala in South Sulawesi but yours has unusual carvings and I also doubt about the specific origin of Selayar island. Regards Last edited by Jean; 8th April 2018 at 12:32 PM.

7th April 2018, 01:46 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Love this pamor! Thanks for posting!

7th April 2018, 02:01 AM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	The blade has a real purity of form.

7th April 2018, 11:48 AM	#3
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,247	Thank you, Jose! Rick, I feel the same. The blade, by all it's simplicity, is well shaped and evokes a harmonius and somehow "completed" feeling. I often regret the new makers tend to exuberant pieces - we never or very seldom see new pieces with this kind of self-evident character.

7th April 2018, 06:57 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,123	Would this serve as a keris selit then. It seems to me that keris patrem are not present in Bugis culture, but perhaps i am mistaken. Though i understand that keris selit are more a Peninsula thing. Anyone know the function of this keris in its culture of origin? Nice blade btw. I quite like this little keris.