Nice Old Sumatran Keris For Comment
 

Hi All

This Auction just ended. Seems to a nice old one :)


http://cgi.ebay.com/Good-old-Malaysi...QQcmdZViewItem


Lew

This is a keris from the N. Malaysian state of Terengganu. Its a very nice and complete keris, in super condition. Congratulations! :)

A very nice and sturdy keris. A good find!!! Don't forget to turn the ukiran to the other side when the keris arives.

a beauty to look at ! Nice thin pamor layers! hard to find nowadays.
congrats.
I did not see it at all at ebay? must bin sleeping ....zzzzzzzzzz

As i said i PM Lew, nice catch, especially at that price. Shows you can still find a bargain or two on ebay. :)
I am still curious about what appears to be a round indentation at the base of the kris. It reminds me a little of the finger impressions on keris picit, though it seems a bit less organic. Still, it seems intentional and i wonder what symbolic significance might be connected to it.
I look forward to seeing this one restored and better photographed. :)

Hi All

The keris arrived today and it is a beauty. When I took it out of the box I noticed that the former owner had glued the ukiran on upside down :mad: I blasted the blade for a few minutes with the hairdryer and the glue softened up enough to turn the ukiran the right way :D. Now I am a happy camper :) here are a few quick pics until I get some good light for better pictures.

Lew

Hey Lew, i'm glad you finally got that glue loosened up. I would take it a step further if i were you. Take the hilt off altogether and clean all that crap out of there and off the pesi and then reattatch it with a cloth wrap.
Definitely a nice deal you got there. Can't wait to see a stain on that blade. Looks like a nice pamor. :)

Everything, from the hilt to the hilt cup to the sheath for the blade looks original and fitting. Remember the to maintain the wood with some wood oil! :) The hilt is a very well-carved specimen, top 25% at least, I'd say. The wood grain also looks fantastic! Keep it well, Lew. :)

PS: If you ever replace whatever is holding the hilt to the blade with cloth, remember not to make it too tight, or the hilt will eventually split, which is going to be a real shame.

Another thing, traditionally, the Malay's do not etch/stain their kerises with warangan (arsenic trioxide). They leave the blades in the 'raw' state pretty much like what this keris currently is (though this blade is a lot smoother due to steel-woolling, no doubt). Not a bad thing actually; its easier to clean, and is less prone to rusting.

To 'restore' it to its 'original' state, just dip the blade in vinegar for about 30min, then wash with a lot of soap. But the blade is really nice as it is, so personally, I won't do it. :)

Keris Melayu
 

Congratulations on owning such a beautiful keris. It's always a joy to own one where you not only have a nice, intact blade but also sarung and hulu aged to perfection, with that mature reddish brown hue. :)
At first glance, the blade looks like the work of a Malay pandai besi, but I can't help but sense something of a Bugis sensibility to the blade, which I just can't pin down. Any ideas why anyone?

Nice a nice blade! I lived in Penang, Malaysia for two years when my dad was working for an American multinational corporation called National Semiconductor...too bad, though...I didn't get any of Keris there. I always wanted one but never gotten around to by one! :( I think they blade design are cool!

Lew, that's beautiful. I know nothing about Keris (and very little about anything else :rolleyes: ) but that just looks.....right. Superb.
Steve

The simple answer is -- It's because there is indeed Bugis influence in the keris. :)

The Bugis has imprinted their mark in many parts of the archipelago, being involved in politics, war and even court intrigues. The royal families of Johore, Selangor are Bugis. The state of Perak and Kedah were occupied by or subject to political manipulations of the Bugis at some point in the 18th century. You would find that the more south (in the Malay Peninsula) one travels, the more obvious the Bugis influence.

This keris here has a certain Malayan 'grace' to it, specifically, if you look at the well-formed greneng. More curvy, one might say. Or simply -- just 'sweeter' look. Typically, the 'true-blue' Sulawesi and Riau Bugis blades are tough but with rather awkward-looking ricikans. It's the Malay sense of aesthetics which, when blended with the Bugis style of forging, creates a slightly different class of keris blades.

Hard to believe that only 2 other people bid on this one, and they were bidders who would have ordinarily given you more of a battle for a keris like this. I guess everyone but you must have fallen mysteriously asleep at just the right time....or perhaps, Lew, you have powers that you aren't revealing to us. ;) :D

Just to add a bit more; the hilt and crosspiece of sheath (Wrangka or Sampir) are made of Kemuning and stem (batang) of Angsana or sena woods. Buntut however is unclear from the pics shown. I'd agree on the Bugis characteristic on blade and that the Bugis are all over the Peninsular and also Sabah. However with my personal associations with the Bugis and Malays here, staining (and warangan) is unknown and etching are only done with coconut water and/or lime.

Nechesh

I have a keris and it's pamor was especially made to give me power over Ebay auctions ;) :D


Lew

charms.
 

:) so I guess my "rabbits foot" lost its magic :eek:

no more rabbits foot
 

its time to pull out the big blades " I lost my mojo" :eek:

Ahhh, my suspicions are confirmed! :D
I agree with both Kai Wee and John, warangan would be the wrong way to go, but i think a light etching with lime, coconut or vinegar might let that beautiful pattern step out just a touch. :)