Gentlemen,
In my search for the transition of the Javanese/Balinese
keris to the Moro
kris, I have encountered two structures which I am uncertain whether they derive from original Javanese/Balinese forms or represent adaptations originating with the Moros.
The
first structure relates to the representation of
lambe gajah. In some older examples of Moro
kris, there appears to be three lines to choose from. The uppermost line is the bottom of the
gandik. Then there are two parallel lines below that on the
gangya (ganja). To illustrate this point, here are two examples of old Moro
kris that show this feature.
Example 1 is an old blade with a gold/brass Balinese hilt resembling a
Jawa daemon. The
gandik has been described as a Balinese style, being concave on its face and curving up slightly at the bottom. Note the two lines below the
gandik. Ordinarily, on Moro
kris, the lowest part of the
gandik forms the upper lip of the
lambe gajah, and a line below it on the
gangya represents the lower lip.
Example 2 is a Moro blade with a Malay hilt and
kakatua pommel with side panel. In this example, the
gandik is more consistent with the Javanese style, having a slightly convex face and a more upright appearance. However, the same three lines are present at the base of the
gandik and on the
gangya.
Are you aware of similar examples found on Javanese or Balinese
keris? What constitutes the
lambe gajah on these two examples: is it the bottom of the
gandik and the first line on the
gangya, or the two lines on the
gangya?
The
second structure relates to what has been called the "arrowhead" and is commonly found on older Moro
kris, as well as some Brunei
kris. This is formed at the top of the
sogokan by grooves running along each side of the
sogokan that converge a short distance above it. I am unaware of this feature occurring on a Javanese or Balinese
keris, and ask if anyone has seen a similar feature on a
keris. Is there an indigenous name for this structure?
Here is an example of an "arrowhead" present on Example 1 above.
Further information on these two swords, including attribution, can be found in the thread, "Early" Moro Kris, posted on the Ethnographic Forum.