[Ian]

This Moro kris (Malay: Keris suluk; Sundang) is likely from the second half of the 19th C. The laminated blade has, by current Indonesian keris convention, a total of 11 curves (luk). At some point the blade has been stained with warankan, an arsenic-based preparation used to stain Indonesian keris. This is a very unusual treatment for a Moro kris, the blades of which are polished to white or etched with various weak acid solutions to highlight the laminations. Although the blade appears to have a central panel, there is no evidence of twist core elements. A single, steel asang-asang has been stained with warankan also.

The blade has a flattened diamond cross-section and a central ridge on each side that follows the blade’s contours along its whole length. There is a separate gangya (ganja), with the straight section extending almost the entire length across the blade before angling down to the greneng. The elephant trunk area resembles most closely a Sulu style, with the “tusk” angled towards the gangya and the area enclosed by the “trunk” and gandek being approximately oval. For this reason, I think the blade is most likely Sulu in manufacture.

The hilt has a silver band at each end of the grip, which has been covered over most of its length with plaited silver wire. The pommel is a simply carved, small kakatua form made from polished horn. The beak of the kakatua is abbreviated compared with most examples of this type, and the crest is likewise small. Side panels are absent from the body of the pommel. Although simple, the quality of carving on the pommel is exceptional: the symmetry of each side is perfect and the carving of this abstract form has created an elegant work of art.

The wooden scabbard is covered with a pendok of embossed silver, segmented by a single yellow band into two panels. The front shows embossed vines running vertically down the pendok, flanked by geometric designs. The toe of the scabbard has a buntut with the same designs in pink-yellow silver. The bottom of the buntut is slightly curved and has a plain flat under surface.

The wooden sampir at the throat of the scabbard is of a form seen widely throughout maritime SE Asia on Malay sundang and Moro kris. The sword sits “proud” in its scabbard, with about 2 mm of the gangya/ganja appearing above the sampir. I’m told this is an old custom for keris, including during the 19th C.

It has been suggested that the different coloured buntut compared with the rest of the pendok might be alluding to a Melayu influence, where the toe of the scabbard is usually ornamented with a dark wood or horn segment or insert.

I have talked with a few people about this sword. There is a sense that it mostly reflects Moro work, particularly the blade. The use of warankan to stain the blade is highly unusual, however, and suggests an Indonesian/Melayu influence. There may be further Melayu influence in the buntut. The vines and leaves depicted on the front of the pendok are consistent with Moro work, but the remaining geometric designs are non-specific. The silver decorations on the hilt are found on both Melayu sundang and Moro kris.

I’m calling this one a Moro/Malay kris because I see elements of both cultures (albeit they are closely related in northern Borneo and Brunei). It may have been created in the Sulu Archipelago as a gift or bride price for a prominent individual in northern Borneo/Brunei, or vice versa. One can only speculate at this time.

Provenance: I purchased this sword from a prominent Australian collector who acquired it in the late 1950s from a Sydney art dealer. At that time the blade had some surface rust and was soaked in vinegar, which removed the rust and left the dark underlying warankan staining. The sword had not been otherwise maintained apart from oiling the blade and cleaning the silver periodically.

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