Origine of Bugis Keris

[Athanase]

Hello,

I have this Keris with a very nice ivory hilt, but I find the scabbard very unusual. I think the warangka isn't the original one because it seems to have been lengthened to fit the blade. The selut also seems more modern than the rest.
I think it might be from Sumatra or Peninsular Malaysia, but I'd like to know if it's possible to have a more specific origin?

[David]

Nice keris. Could you make a photo of the blade in the sheath looking down from the top so that we can see the fit? Thanks!

[Rick]

A picture looking down on the blade inserted in the wrongko would be very helpful.
Did you notice that there is an entity contained in the sorsoron on one side?

[Sajen]

Hello Séverin,

The wrongko could be from East Java/Madura, a seldom seen form. Here are a few examples taken from this old thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3183&highlight=madura

Best regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

I'd be inclined to place the wrongko as Madura, the hilt I cannot say with any certainty, the blade as Madura/East Jawa.

[Sajen]

Sorry, the blade looks very Buginese to my eyes!?

[A. G. Maisey]

If it has the typical Bugis flat faces, yes, I'd agree, Bugis style, but I cannot see those flat faces in the photos, what I can see is a bold, very non-typical pamor, a long point to the blade and the stub of what would have been a small, spindly kembang kacang.

[Sajen]

Yes, the blade shows a Bugis style but there are some unusual features, I agree.

The wrongko is as well somewhat unusual for Madura, the lata is straight by the example in question, by the examples shown from me not.

The hole in the pangulu handle isn't unusual, see the pics of one of my pangulu hilts.

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

That blade could be Bugis Detlef, but from the photo I cannot see sufficient evidence to place it as Bugis, the indicators that I can see look more like East Jawa to me.

If in the hand it did provide sufficient evidence to classify as Bugis, I think I'd be considering Sumatera or some other place outside of Sulawesi.

[Sajen]

If in the hand it did provide sufficient evidence to classify as Bugis, I think I'd be considering Sumatera or some other place outside of Sulawesi.

My thoughts as well Alan! :)

[Athanase]

Hello,

Thank you all for your responses.
I apologize for the delay in responding.
Here are photos of the blade in its sheath.

[A. G. Maisey]

The form of the sirah cecak & the buntut urang is not typical of a keris that can be classified as Bugis, however, it is typical of a keris that can be classified as East Jawa or Madura.

If the blade does indeed carry flat faces, then we would need to consider the possibility of a gonjo replacement at some time in the (probably distant) past.

[Athanase]

Hello,

I checked, one side of the blade is very flat, the other is very slightly lenticular.
The blade seems a little thinner than more traditional Bugis blades with a hexagonal cross-section.

[A. G. Maisey]

That hex cross section is what I mean when I refer to "flat faces".

Does the blade have a hex cross section?

[Athanase]

I compared with Bugis keris and Javanese keris and... it's not so obvious, but it's closer to a hexagonal section, but the angle between the flat surface and the cutting edge seems to have been worn so it's not very sharp anymore (Too violent cleaning of the blade in the past?).