Archeological Finding

[rasdan]

Hi guys,

Yesterday I contacted a friend (Raja Kamarazaman - in facebook) that is an metal detecting enthusiast regarding his keris related find. He had recently found another keris hilt with gold pendongkok. Interestingly, the pendongkok is probably the gold Bugis pendongkok we normally see on gold encrusted Bugis keris, however the hilt is wood and looks almost Javanese - what we know as Jogja hilt nowadays. Have you seen earlier specimens of keris outside of Jawa that uses this type of hilt? Or probably this is actually a Jawa keris? I also attached pictures of the earlier pendongkok that had found - that have rubies in them.

[Athanase]

I have the same hilt on a bugis Keris from Sulawesi.
The handle looks old but newer than the blade and scabbard (The Ganja is missing, and the brass selut is too wide for the handle).

[mariusgmioc]

I don't understand something as I see two different seluts in the photos:
1. the first one in the second photo attached to the crudely chopped hilt and in the third photo,
2. the second one, in the last photos.
Anyhow, both appear to be old workmanship and genuine to me. I would love to have any one of them!

[rasdan]

That is cool Athanase. Can we see a picture of the hilt?

Marius, there's actually 2 pendongkok. The first 3 pictures are the recently found. The other pictures are the one that was found earlier.

[kai]

Hello Rasdan,

No blade remains found, no pesi inside the hilt?

I have a really tough time to believe that hilt and selut were born together... Even allowing for some deterioration, the hilt does look to be of very mundane quality.

There is an Aceh hilt based on the Javanese planar grip. The high-end versions came with this type of selut and were royal gifts to local rulers in the greater Aceh sphere of influence; however, one would expect hilts from status material and excellent workmanship.

Regards,
Kai

[rasdan]

Hello Kai,

I am not sure if there was a blade found or remnants of a pesi in the hilt. I guess it was found like in the first picture.

When you mentioned Acheh, it rings a bell in my mind. I think in Kris Disk there's a non javanese keris with an ivory hilt that looks like a Jogja hilt. I didn't found the picture but I found the one below. Thanks for pointing it out Kai.

[kai]

Hello Rasdan,

Yes, that's another example of these bawar hilts.

Here are the Aceh gift keris from the northern Sumatran highlands:
hilt silver
cup suasa/rubies

Regards,
Kai

[rasdan]

Thanks Kai, keris you posted above is the one that I meant. Now I know that this combination is not an oddity.

[Athanase]

Originally Posted by rasdan

That is cool Athanase. Can we see a picture of the hilt?

I would try to do it on Monday because the Kriss is in my office.

You mention the KrisDisk: I can't find it and the email address of the author (given on the forum a few years ago) is no longer valid.
Where can I buy it?

[David]

Originally Posted by Athanase

I would try to do it on Monday because the Kriss is in my office.

You mention the KrisDisk: I can't find it and the email address of the author (given on the forum a few years ago) is no longer valid.
Where can I buy it?

The email is no longer valid because i am afraid the author passed on a few years back. You can sometimes find offers for the KrisDisk used on eBay or other auction sites. If anyone has a copy to offer Athanase, please approach through Private Messaging, not on this thread. Thanks!

[rasdan]

Thanks Athanase. I'll sent you a private message where you can purchase the disk.

[Athanase]

Thank you!
he photos of my kriss with similar hilt :

[A. G. Maisey]

Athanase, this keris of yours is in my opinion a Lombok keris.

The hilt is Balinese, the pendongkok Bugis, the scabbard is a Bugis style, the blade I cannot ID from what I can see, but it does appear to be missing its gonjo. In other words, it is a mix, but mixed components are far, far more usual in real life than collectors care to believe.

Lombok was colonised by the Balinese, then the Bugis came along and also wanted some of it. There were little wars going on there for years. Complete keris from Lombok are very often a bit of a mix, and when not mixed, the blades will often show very peculiar interpretations of form.

[Athanase]

The blade of my keris a typical bugis straight blade. All in this Keris is Bugis style, except the handle.
This keris comes from an old French collection, collected in the middle of the 20th century (or before?, I have no more information).

[rasdan]

Thanks Athanase. Your hilt surely looks like the one I posted. Guess this type is very widespread throughout the archipelago.

[David]

I would second Alan's suggestion that the hilt on Athanase's keris is probably a Lombak form of the planar hilt. It has distinct differences from the hilts shown in both posts #6 & #7 which are definitely not Lombok.