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Old 15th February 2018, 11:21 AM   #2
kai
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,215
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Hello Séverin,

Congrats, that's another nice one!


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It is clearly a keris from Sumatra, but I am not sure of its origin.
The blade and the scabbard remind me of the Minangkabau keris but the handle is closer to the Gayo style.
I believe it is fair to call it a keris Gayo. The hilt and selut appear to be genuine Gayo style. Thus, the keris apparently was worn in Gayo; the Gayo are also known for their eclectic use of blades and fittings from neighbouring regions.


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The length of the blade is 29.5cm long and is very thick.
It looks like a legitimate Bangkinang blade to me (of course, these were widely traded), possibly with a replaced gonjo? Please post pics after thorough cleaning, too.


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The scabbard is made of wood covered with a silver repoussé in its upper part, and a weave between strips of silver and cords of buffalo? hair in the lower part.
Seems like good, old craftsmanship to me. It may have been traded together with the blade (or even be a later match). It's not that rare for Sumatran keris to have a bit of a loose fit, so we'll probably never know for sure...


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The buntut seems to be too sutra with a band of gold filigree.
I always love what auto correction does to specialized terminology...

The buntut looks like a good fit. I wonder whether the band might be a repair? I've seen this motif from before WW2, I believe. I'd love to hear of any antique examples with reasonable provenance though!


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The handle is made of marine ivory, the pendokok is made of suassa with low-grade gold and garnets?
Rubies/spinels would also be possible - I'm also seeing lots of red glass utilized in Sumatran keris. Apparently, it didn't made much of a difference culturally and it was only the look which really counted...

Regards,
Kai
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