Silver/Gold Bugis Kris

[DaveS]

Here is a silver and gold bugis kris with a rosette decorated with green
and red stones. Blade is 13 inches long, entire kris is 17 inches long. Blade
appears to have two types of pamor. I think unjung gunung at the base
and another pamor running up the blade that i can't identify. Any comments
as to age............Dave.

[Bjorn]

Hi Dave,

This piece seems to previously have been sold via a shop that also has a web presence (I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to mention the name of the shop here). As you are asking for details here, I imagine that you did not buy it directly from them. This is the information they provided for this keris:

A very fine example of a keris from the southern Sulawesi regions of Bugis. Handle in the kerdas form is fully encased with thick silver using fine filigree and granulation techniques, and overlaid at places with18K gold petals works. It is also studded with two red rubies at the front “eyes”. The sheath is also fully encased using similar gold and silver techniques, and has the rare toil-toli or loop like attachments (meant for high status wear) at the front having rubies and emeralds profusions.

Thick and very sturdy straight blade with a slightly angular profile and plain base features or perabots, and a hexagonal cross section, has an overall shape or dapor called sepokal in Malay.

Pamor patterns are rather complicated and are arranged in the miring technique. At the base, a peak like formation is called pamor ujung gunung. Above it a single central pamor line is called pamor sada saler, and at the sides are pamor unthuk banyu or water bubbles.

The pamor ujung gunung is said to enhance the owner’s status and the pamor sada saler is said to guide the owner, while the pamor unthuk banyu is said to enhance the owner’s popularity.

The blade is also very well tempered, or nyepuh, as seen from the darker shades of the blade stretching from the tip to above the base.

Condition: Very good condition.

Age: Krises are traditionally made without any date stampings or engravings of the makers' name. Although a kris smith or "empu" has his own styles configured together with the dapor and especially the ganjar (cross piece). Obvious age wear and tear, usage, familiarity with forms, motifs and designs, origin and history, mediums and materials used are our guidelines in determining an approximate age. This particular piece, from our experience and knowledge, should go back to middle 19th century blade with mid 20th century fittings.

[David]

The seller's description seems fairly accurate, though this dress is probably more likely to have been made closer to the end of the 20th century than the middle. This type of work is clearly still be done to this day.
We have had a bit of discussion in the past about the profusion in the of toli-toli appearing on this form of dress of late so i am not really certain we can consider it "rare" anymore. When i see toli-toli these days my first thought is always to question whether the blade was originally owned by someone of high status or if it has just been dressed up for the marketplace. This dress is nicely made and sports rubies, emeralds, gold and silver, so regardless of the originally status of the owner it seems to imply high status now. And the blade is a nice one with a complex combination of pamor that also seems to support such fine dress.

[Sajen]

Hello Dave,

agree with all what have been said to your nice keris.

Regards,

Detlef

[DaveS]

Thank you all for your comments. Of all the many krisses that i own,
this ranks up there as one of my favorites. I showed this to a lady that
makes a lot of jewelry. She said that this exhibited some of the best work-
manship that she has seen..........Dave.

[asomotif]

I am with David.
Particularly on the toli-toli opinion :-)

Indeed a very nice keris in aspect of both the blade as well as the dress.
The filigrain and granulation is very nicely done.

A little oil for the blade would be recommended ;-)

Best regards,
Willem