Rafngard
2nd April 2019, 01:58 AM
Hello All,
This is one that initially confused the heck out of me. It's shorter than normal, has what I would think of as a "balinese finish" and a leather scabbard that looks like something from Luzon.
Fortunately, a Dutch collector informed me that this was probably used by someone in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL). Apparently, it was allowed for low-ranking officers of indonesian origin to wear a keris as a personal side-arm. Madurans in particular were known to often take service in the KNIL.
I suspect then that this was originally one of those smooth textured, Javanese length (rather than the larger Balinese ones) keris that broken and was later used as a personal side-arm by a low-ranking Indonesian (east Javanese or Maduran) officer in the KNIL.
So what do people think? Does this theory scan?
Any thoughts or opinions welcome here.
Thanks,
Leif
This is one that initially confused the heck out of me. It's shorter than normal, has what I would think of as a "balinese finish" and a leather scabbard that looks like something from Luzon.
Fortunately, a Dutch collector informed me that this was probably used by someone in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL). Apparently, it was allowed for low-ranking officers of indonesian origin to wear a keris as a personal side-arm. Madurans in particular were known to often take service in the KNIL.
I suspect then that this was originally one of those smooth textured, Javanese length (rather than the larger Balinese ones) keris that broken and was later used as a personal side-arm by a low-ranking Indonesian (east Javanese or Maduran) officer in the KNIL.
So what do people think? Does this theory scan?
Any thoughts or opinions welcome here.
Thanks,
Leif