Danny, did you ask the seller whether they had any history behind this keris? Any details about who collected the piece or where it was colleted would be very useful.
I think this is a Bugis keris but not Straits. It looks like it could be "tanah besar" that is, from Sulawesi itself.
I would strongly recommend that everyone who is interested in the Peninsular/Straits keris read more about the history of the region. Crucial reads are:
1. Tufat al Nafis - by Raja Ali Haji. There is an English translation called The Precious Gift by Barbara Harrison. This will give you a solid background on the history of the Bugis in the Straits from a Bugis Perspective.
2. Syair Perang Siak. This is a history from the perspective of the Sultans of Siak - who were more or less anti-Bugis and pro-Minang/Malay.
3. Sejarah Melayu. Malay Perspective and with lots of legendary history of the Malay people. Understanding what the Malay people are is crucial to understanding the Malay Keris.
4. Hikayat Hang Tuah. Another folk/popular history that is crucial to understanding Malay history. Note the very different story about the infamous keris Taming Sari.
5. Finally: while there are a lot of good reads about there the best all rounder for understanding the Malay world is a volume called "Contesting Malayness" edited by Tim Barnard. This puppy will blow your mind if you have any pre-concieved notions about the Malay World.
There are a ton of other very edifying books including Tony Reids two volume history of the early modern period of Southeast Asia "Land Below the Winds" and of course the Cambridge History. The Hikayat Pattani and other vernacular histories also provide much "color" for those of us who seek to understand the keris. Granted there's a lot here but read the volume's listed above and you will have a solid foundation for understanding the Malay Keris.
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