"Early" Moro kris

[Ian]

This is another fine old Moro kris from the Oriental Arms site. It is number 7477 in Sold Items. Here is Artzi Yarom's description:

This is a fine Moro Sword, early type, probably early 19 C or earlier. The blade is 18 inches, slender, and fullered. The fullers are etched in a pattern reminding the Twisted Star pattern common to the period in the middle east swords. The execution of the etching is so fine that at the beginning I was almost sure I am holding a real Twisted Star pattern on hand. The handle is wood covered with bands of silver fibers. One silver reinforcing clamp and a brass strip covering the Ganja. Ivory pommel in a classical cockatoo shape with some inscription on it. Wood scabbard bound with braided rattan. Total length 24 inches. Very good condition. There are repairs on the tip of the pommel and the scabbard mouth.

This sword has many features that are variously claimed as indicators of age:

• almost entirely straight line of separation between gangya and blade
• long, graceful single luk or luk 3 by current convention
• short blade length
• presence of ricikin features—sogokan, blumbangan, sekar kacang, jalen, gandik, lambe gajah, greneng—found on the "Modern Javanese Keris"
• an excellent central panel of twist core "pamor" with a mid-line ridge running most of the length of the blade
  
• tapering width of blade from gangya to acute tip, an architecture probably reflecting the origins of the Moro kris from the Indonesian keris that was used as a stabbing weapon

One might expect that a Moro kris blade that closely resembled the Modern Javanese Keris of, say, the 16th C would reflect an "early" form of the Moro kris. However, this sword does not look old enough to have been made in the 16th C. Perhaps it is a "revival form," made later but in an earlier style. That could still make it quite old and pre-1800. The feature that suggests a revival form is the "elephant trunk area." The space outlined by the sekar kacang and gandik is oval, and the lower part of the gandik is concave rather than convex (the latter being seen on Javanese keris of the 16th C and also on old Moro kris). A pronounced oval space with downwards sloping jalen are seen on 19th C and later Moro kris (and perhaps pre-1800), notably those kris thought to be of Sulu origin. The ivory pommel is also of a form that came later than 16th C, especially the presence of a small crest and a side panel on the main section of the pommel. The greneng show considerable wear and loss over time, consistent with a pre-1800 sword.

Just how far back was the Moro kris in use? We don't know exactly. The Spaniard, Legaspi, landed in the Philippines in the mid-16th C and early Spanish reports noted the use of the Moro kris, including during the Spanish-Moro Wars that started in the late 16th C and continued sporadically until the end of the 19th C (when Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S.). The Moro kris preceded the arrival of Spain, but how much earlier is unclear.

As always, thoughts and comments are most welcome.
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[Gustav]

Ian, this Kris is very similar to or possibly identical with a certain Kris, allegedly made in Brunei in 1842.

[Ian]

Thanks Gustav. Do you have any further information, pictures, or reference to that sword? I note a faint inscription on the pommel of the present example which appears to be in Arabic script. Unfortunately it seems much worn and too faint for a translation—perhaps one of our forumites might be able to read some of it.

[Ian]

Gustav,

Perhaps this is the one you recall. It is a distinguished Brunei kris made in 1842, according to the present owner. If this is the one that you recall, there are some differences, most of which are related to the ricikin.

a. The presence of an "arrow head" on this example, created by two grooves running alongside the sogokan and almost meeting at the top. That feature is absent on the sword in the original post.

b. The presence of a well defined point where the first luk on the back of the blade starts is present on this sword and not the other.

c. Well defined, unworn, greneng on the ganja only. This contrasts with the original post.

d. A convex face of the gandik. The face is concave on the first one.

e. The height of the sogokan appears shorter than on the original example.

Furthermore, the overall blade seems to have less tapering in width down its length than the first sword, with the width of the first luk being similar to the width of the last luk. Also, the central "pamor" section of the second blade does not appear to have grooves or a central ridge.

Lastly, there are obvious differences in the dress of these two, which probably does not tell us very much other than the dress of the second one is definitely Brunei in origin.

Ian.
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[Gustav]

Ian,

surely that's a completely different Kris than one, which appeared with this description in the old UBB forum about 20 years ago.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Gustav

... surely that's a completely different Kris than one, which appeared with this description in the old UBB forum about 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, the old UBB Forum is defunct and won't be resurrected.

[Ian]

Hi Gustav, did you get my PM from a week or so ago?

[Ian]

Xasterix has recently posted some excellent pictures from a Spanish auction here. I have looked through the Moro kris shown in those pictures, and there is one that stands out for me as likely to be older than the others based on its features resembling the Javanese keris.

Panoply A from the Xasterix post has been copied below with the swords labeled. Number A-11 appears to be the oldest one shown in these pictures. It has many features seen on the "modern Javanese kris" which I mentioned above. In addition, the gandik is unusually tall for a Moro kris, more in keeping with some old keris, such as the 16th C keris I have referred to before.

In my continuing search for "early" Moro kris, this one may have the most features in common with the Javanese keris. Interestingly, this one does not have an asang asang, and may never have had one (although the quality of the blown up pictures make it hard to tell if there was one originally).

Seeing A-11 displayed with much larger, heavier, and (probably) more recent kris, with notably wider and longer blades, suggests to me that A-11 is a good candidate for a progenitor of the "modern Moro kris." I would place it earlier than 1800, and perhaps much earlier.

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[Rick]

Another A-11

18 inch blade
handle (whale's tooth pommel) 4 and seven eighths inches

LOA 22 and seven eighths inches.

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by Rick

Another A-11

What s beauty!

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Rick

Another A-11

Another one!

It's 56,5 cm overall, blade alone 44,7 cm.

[Ian]

Thanks Rick and Detlef! Two lovely examples. Can you please provide measurements for length of the blade and overall.

[Ian]

Thanks again to Rick and Sajen for adding the dimensions of their swords to the posts above. Rick's sword is a tad bigger, with a blade that is a cm longer (45.7 vs 44.7 cm) than Sajen's, and also longer overall (58.1 cm vs 56.5 cm). Nevertheless, these are significantly smaller than 19th C examples, such as most of those shown in the picture of the panoply above. On size alone, Rick's and Sajen's swords would be considered "archaic kris." As already noted, these two swords resemble the example A-11 shown above.

Taking a closer look at the ricikin on these two swords shows some interesting features, and perhaps some important differences.



Sajen's sword is on the left; Rick's sword is on the right

Apart from one sword having two asang asang and the other only one, at first sight they look remarkably similar. Closer inspection shows some small differences.

1. The "elephant trunk" area of Sajen's sword shows a gandik that is mostly vertical with a hint of convexity to the free edge; Rick's sword shows an oval space bounded by the sekar kacang and the gandik, caused by the gandik having a concave profile to its free edge. Sajen's configuration is closer to an old keris style, while Rick's example is reflected in many later Moro kris, especially those from Sulu.
2. The line of separation between the ganja and blade on Sajen's sword tends to arc up (not exactly angled but definitely a major departure from horizontal); Rick's sword also departs from linear, but in a more angled manner. While Sajen's configuration is unusual, I don't think much can be made of differences in the line of separation between these two.
3. The greneng on Sajen's sword appear more worn than on Rick's. While this might suggest that Sajen's example is older, I don't think we can make much of this finding. Oxidative losses depend so much on how the piece has been stored and kept oiled.

Both of these swords are excellent candidates for originating before 1800. They may or may not be as old as A-11, but they share a lot of the same important characteristics that reflect the origin of the kris from the "Modern Javanese Keris."

[Ian]

Looking back through the Archives of this site, I came across this most interesting example. It is very thought provoking and had been discussed here a little earlier. Pictures are provided in the later post but are very poor quality. I have spent some time working on them to better define the characteristics on the blade in particular. After more than a decade, it's probably worth reconsidering this keris/kris.

My feeling is that this is definitely a Moro blade but with a strong Balinese influence. My reason for labeling it as "Moro" is the central panel of twist core "pamor" and the presence of an "arrow head" formed by the confluence of two grooves running each side of the sogokan (circled on one of the pictures below). The resemblance of the gandik and lambe gaja to those seen on some Balinese keris was noted previously.

Does anyone have an example of the "arrow head" appearing on Javanese or Balinese keris? I would like to know the indigenous name and meaning for this feature because I think it may be a good indicator of "Moro" origin.

It is hard to know whether this one ever had an asang asang. There is a curious arrangement at the base of the hilt that might suggest it did, but this was not discussed previously. The relationship of the hilt to a Java daemon was discussed earlier, however. The tip of the blade appears to have been damaged, and was also commented on previously.

Dimensions of the sword were not reported.

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[Ian]

Continuing in the same theme, here is one from the sold area of the new Oriental-Arms site: Item number 15238. Artzi has labeled this one as Malay Peninsula in origin, and the style of hilt and the asang asang would support that attribution. However, I think the blade is likely Moro in origin for two reasons:

1. The presence of a twist core central panel on an obviously old blade, and
2. The presence of an "arrow head"

A twist core central panel on a Malay made kris blade does occur, but on broad blades with a central fuller (see A-9 and A-13 shown in the post #8 of this thread) that post date this example considerably IMHO. I have already commented on the "arrow head" feature, which is strongly correlated with Moro blades.

The twist core area on this sword is worthy of comment. Four separate rods have been used with a prominent chevron pattern either side of a central chevron pair. This is unusual and clearly a prestige blade--perhaps a presentation blade. A single chevron pattern is seen in example A-6 in post #8 of this thread.

The indicators of substantial age are several:

• Short blade (16.5 in.) and overall length (21.5 in.)
• Straight line of separation between gangya and blade
• A gandik with a convex profile similar to the "Modern Javanese Keris"

An unusual feature to my eye is the lambe gajah. Three horizontal lines span the line of separation--which two represent the "lips"? This arrangement is not unique to this sword (see the example immediately preceding this sword), and perhaps the keris experts can explain its distribution and significance, and at what time it was a feature.

As with other swords in this thread, I believe this blade predates 1800, and probably by a substantial period of time.
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[David]

Originally Posted by Ian

Continuing in the same theme, here is one from the sold area of the new Oriental-Arms site: Item number 15238. Artzi has labeled this one as Malay Peninsula in origin, and the style of hilt and the asang asang would support that attribution. However, I think the blade is likely Moro in origin for two reasons:

1. The presence of a twist core central panel on an obviously old blade, and
2. The presence of an "arrow head"

A twist core central panel on a Malay made kris blade does occur, but on broad blades with a central fuller (see A-9 and A-13 shown in the post #8 of this thread) that post date this example considerably IMHO. I have already commented on the "arrow head" feature, which is strongly correlated with Moro blades.

The twist core area on this sword is worthy of comment. Four separate rods have been used with a prominent chevron pattern either side of a central chevron pair. This is unusual and clearly a prestige blade--perhaps a presentation blade. A single chevron pattern is seen in example A-6 in post #8 of this thread.

The indicators of substantial age are several:

• Short blade (16.5 in.) and overall length (21.5 in.)
• Straight line of separation between gangya and blade
• A gandik with a convex profile similar to the "Modern Javanese Keris"

An unusual feature to my eye is the lambe gajah. Three horizontal lines span the line of separation--which two represent the "lips"? This arrangement is not unique to this sword (see the example immediately preceding this sword), and perhaps the keris experts can explain its distribution and significance, and at what time it was a feature.

As with other swords in this thread, I believe this blade predates 1800, and probably by a substantial period of time.
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Ian, I agree with you that this is a Moro blade, but aside from the somewhat unusual ferrule i don't really see anything in particular that would place this hilt in Malay culture. Also, most Malay Peninsula Sundangs don't have asang asang.
If the horizontal lines you are referring to are the ones on the front of the gonjo (gangya in Moro terms), these lines are indeed often present in Javanese keris of the Banten period (16-17th century) as well as Balinese keris.
But you can also find these lines on well made Moro kris from the late 19th century.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by David

Ian, I agree with you that this is a Moro blade, but aside from the somewhat unusual ferrule i don't really see anything in particular that would place this hilt in Malay culture. Also, most Malay Peninsula Sundangs don't have asang asang.

Agree completely with you David!

[Ian]

Originally Posted by David

Ian, I agree with you that this is a Moro blade, but aside from the somewhat unusual ferrule i don't really see anything in particular that would place this hilt in Malay culture. Also, most Malay Peninsula Sundangs don't have asang asang.
If the horizontal lines you are referring to are the ones on the front of the gonjo (gangya in Moro terms), these lines are indeed often present in Javanese keris of the Banten period (16-17th century) as well as Balinese keris.
But you can also find these lines on well made Moro kris from the late 19th century.

David,

Thank you very much for this reply. As far as a Malay attribution, I believe there are Malay blades that have asang asang. Whether these are Malay blades repurposed by Moros, or Malay blades made for Malays that have asang asang, is unclear. See also here. As I look at what I believe to be Malay sundang blades, these tend to be straight and a little wider than most Moro sundang, and usually have a central groove that runs almost the length of the blade. Is that your experience also?

I would reference the blade for item A-9 (in the panoply above, post #8) as being in the Malay style but perhaps of Moro manufacture. It has a central groove with a double-chevron, twist-core pattern, and an atypical gold (?) hilt, which appears to have been restricted to high nobility owners. There are pictures of Datu Piang and a Maguindanao Sultan having swords with similar hilts. Our fellow forumite, Battara, has another example with the same hilt style that he posted here a long time ago.

I have not seen Malay sundang with classical sogokan or blumbangan, although longitudinal ridges and grooves starting adjacent to the gangya and running various lengths down the blade seem common. Looking at hilts on Malay sundang, I find them sometimes hard to distinguish from Sulu hilts. A small round ferrule, perhaps imitating a mendek, appears to be a consistent feature on Malay sundang, as well as a somewhat "fatter" grip section often bound with cord and sometimes segmented into three sections by raised metal rings. Most Malay sundang appear to be crowned by a simple kakatua pommel with side panels, with ivory being a common material. Please tell me if I am mistaken about any of these features.

The picture you posted appears to be a Sulu or Maguindanao sundang showing twin lines below the concave edge of the gandik, and another pair of lines at the bottom end of the gangya (cocor). It is interesting that you note these styles present on 16-17th C Javanese keris. This helps, I think, in understanding why some of the so-called "archaic Moro kris" show these features fairly consistently.

Could you post pictures of a 16-17th Javanese kris showing these lines below the gandik and on the gangya?

Thanks David.

Regards,

Ian.

[David]

Originally Posted by Ian

Could you post pictures of a 16-17th Javanese kris showing these lines below the gandik and on the gangya?

Sorry Ian, i had missed your question. Here are a couple of examples. I can add more when i find them.

[Battara]

Here are examples of Indonesian kris sundang with asana-asang

[Battara]

Here is one of mine. It is ivory, swassa, and silver. Not much of a pamor in the blade. I believe this is from Tawi-Tawi.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Battara

Here are examples of Indonesian kris sundang with asana-asang

Hi Jose, I would have placed these as Malay in origin. What features speak to you that these are Indonesian?

[Battara]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but Malay and Indonesian sundang are virtually the same.

[Ian]

I was referring to Melayu or other ethnicities/regions now considered part of Malaysia. Are you using "Malay" as a generic term for Malay people, defined broadly?

[Battara]

Now that I think of it, I guess I mistakenly was using it as a broader term. I guess I need to do a better job of definition.

[Ian]

Jose, I'm looking at the second of four examples you show of non-Moro kris. This one is dressed in a distinctly non-Moro fashion, which I think originates from somewhere in what is now Malaysia. The blade (from what I can see of it—there appears to be a lot of active rust) does have an "arrow head" feature that is highly correlated with Moro manufacture. So this looks like a Moro blade (probably from the Sulu Archipelago) that has been owned by a Malaysian.

Your first example might also be an old Sulu blade, redressed in a Malaysian fashion.

The last two are completely non-Moro in origin.

[Battara]

I agree. Lots of trade within the region.

[Ian]

Looking at old fighting versions of Moro kris, I believe this one is a no-frills example from no later than the early-mid 19th C. The gandik area suggests that this is a Maranao blade. There are no sogokan or blumbangan.

The blade length is 48.0 cm (19.0 in) and OAL is 58.8 cm (23.1 in). The ivory kakatua pommel with side panel is diminutive, measuring just under 3.8 cm (1.5 in.) from tip of the "beak" to tip of the "crest."

The scabbard has a nice old banati wood cross piece, but the remainder of the scabbard has been replaced with an unattractive hardwood. The scabbard toe is tilted up and the corresponding smaller back piece has broken off. This is an old scabbard style.

Indicators of age are the relatively short blade, the diminutive pommel, and the scabbard style.
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[Battara]

Looks like silver wire at the bottom that had a silver band over it. And the top looks like it was a later addition, perhaps the whole wrap is, over the silver wire wrap underneath.

Nice honest piece.

[Ian]

Thanks Jose. I think that the fiber cord wrap does cover an underlying silver wire wrap. The handle feels thicker than usual. Unfortunately, the wood core has a break near the middle of the grip and the handle has quite a lot of play in it as a result.