Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - what type of sarung/scabbard fits this keris?

A. G. Maisey · 29th May 2016, 01:23 AM

My approach to the keris can probably be thought of as a cultural approach, and the post that I have just now put into this thread demonstrates that perspective. However, I've been involved with keris for a very long time, and during that time it is inevitable that I have seen and handled a lot of keris from a lot of places, and have experienced the various stages of "collecting".

In respect of keris from Palembang, I have seen and owned keris in old Palembang wrongkos that have had hilts of various styles attached to them. It seems to me that there was a much broader community acceptance of variation in keris dress in Palembang, and perhaps in South Sumatra generally, than was the case in Central & East Jawa and in Bali. Most, if not all of these Palembang keris had the hilts very firmly attached, so much so that in one case I managed to break the pesi in removing the hilt that had been attached with damar or jabung, and then rust had formed and virtually welded the pesi to the hilt. That hilt was an enormous lump of ivory carved as a jawa demam.

Most certainly there are hilt styles that are uniquely Palembang or South Sumatra, but not all keris that were worn in that area carried these styles of hilt.

Similarly with the blade. The blade form generally associated with Palembang is stylistically Mataram, however, I have seen and owned various other blade styles that were long-time occupants of Palembang wrongkos.

I feel that this inconsistency shown by keris from Palembang is probably because of the absence of a Palembang court from 1825 through to WWII. Keris dress convention was dictated by societal convention, rather than by royal decree, thus dress forms were pretty much what an individual considered to be appropriate for his societal position. Very probably people indicated their own family heritage by keeping the blade and hilt from the family, and providing only a scabbard that was correct for the Palembang dress style, so, if somebody was of, say, Bugis descent, he kept his Bugis family blade and hilt, and put it into a Palembang scabbard.

29th May 2016, 01:23 AM	#27
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,700	My approach to the keris can probably be thought of as a cultural approach, and the post that I have just now put into this thread demonstrates that perspective. However, I've been involved with keris for a very long time, and during that time it is inevitable that I have seen and handled a lot of keris from a lot of places, and have experienced the various stages of "collecting". In respect of keris from Palembang, I have seen and owned keris in old Palembang wrongkos that have had hilts of various styles attached to them. It seems to me that there was a much broader community acceptance of variation in keris dress in Palembang, and perhaps in South Sumatra generally, than was the case in Central & East Jawa and in Bali. Most, if not all of these Palembang keris had the hilts very firmly attached, so much so that in one case I managed to break the pesi in removing the hilt that had been attached with damar or jabung, and then rust had formed and virtually welded the pesi to the hilt. That hilt was an enormous lump of ivory carved as a jawa demam. Most certainly there are hilt styles that are uniquely Palembang or South Sumatra, but not all keris that were worn in that area carried these styles of hilt. Similarly with the blade. The blade form generally associated with Palembang is stylistically Mataram, however, I have seen and owned various other blade styles that were long-time occupants of Palembang wrongkos. I feel that this inconsistency shown by keris from Palembang is probably because of the absence of a Palembang court from 1825 through to WWII. Keris dress convention was dictated by societal convention, rather than by royal decree, thus dress forms were pretty much what an individual considered to be appropriate for his societal position. Very probably people indicated their own family heritage by keeping the blade and hilt from the family, and providing only a scabbard that was correct for the Palembang dress style, so, if somebody was of, say, Bugis descent, he kept his Bugis family blade and hilt, and put it into a Palembang scabbard.