Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Two 17th century Keris at the Power and Fashion Exhibition in Dresden

kai · 9th June 2017, 08:26 AM

Hello Alan,

The regalia of Bone also include the keris La Makkawe which is obviously based on the same style (scabbard with possibly later repairs); Gowa still retains keris I Daeng Tammacinna (as does its tributary Bima as mentioned above). Given that poor copies of these royal keris are also known from the Toraja, I believe it stands to reason that this style was once known all over Sulawesi Selantan.

I believe the jury is still out on the question whether this type of scabbard and, especially, hilt (including its selut) really are an indigenous Sulawesi style or how much they owe to Jawa: All the early examples surviving in European collections seem to come with blades that IMVHO could well be royal gifts from Jawa. We know that keris with this style of selut were also awarded by Aceh royalty to tributary Gayo rulers; and also the recent finds from the Malay peninsula look pretty convincing. Given the obvious pre-Islamic iconography on scabbard and hilt, which period would be most likely for developing (and distributing) this style of fittings and from where? Since Islam got kinda added to the already present beliefs rather than superseding them, there is not any clear cut-off date; it is noteworthy though that Aceh and Gowa/Bone belonged to the sultanates with very active proselytizing efforts...

Achim Weihrauch (2001) cites pangeran Hardjonagoro that this hilt may be of South Sumatran origin ("Palembang, Melayu, Jambi") but doesn't reveal the reasons for this hypothesis.

BTW, the keris kindly shown here by Tatyana is indeed from the Ruestkammer Dresden display and you may have not been able to examine it during your visit. Really good pics of the blade as well as its fittings can be found in his thesis (Fig. 41-43 - also have a look at the following Figs!).

Regards,
Kai

9th June 2017, 08:26 AM	#15
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,215	Hello Alan, The regalia of Bone also include the keris La Makkawe which is obviously based on the same style (scabbard with possibly later repairs); Gowa still retains keris I Daeng Tammacinna (as does its tributary Bima as mentioned above). Given that poor copies of these royal keris are also known from the Toraja, I believe it stands to reason that this style was once known all over Sulawesi Selantan. I believe the jury is still out on the question whether this type of scabbard and, especially, hilt (including its selut) really are an indigenous Sulawesi style or how much they owe to Jawa: All the early examples surviving in European collections seem to come with blades that IMVHO could well be royal gifts from Jawa. We know that keris with this style of selut were also awarded by Aceh royalty to tributary Gayo rulers; and also the recent finds from the Malay peninsula look pretty convincing. Given the obvious pre-Islamic iconography on scabbard and hilt, which period would be most likely for developing (and distributing) this style of fittings and from where? Since Islam got kinda added to the already present beliefs rather than superseding them, there is not any clear cut-off date; it is noteworthy though that Aceh and Gowa/Bone belonged to the sultanates with very active proselytizing efforts... Achim Weihrauch (2001) cites pangeran Hardjonagoro that this hilt may be of South Sumatran origin ("Palembang, Melayu, Jambi") but doesn't reveal the reasons for this hypothesis. BTW, the keris kindly shown here by Tatyana is indeed from the Ruestkammer Dresden display and you may have not been able to examine it during your visit. Really good pics of the blade as well as its fittings can be found in his thesis (Fig. 41-43 - also have a look at the following Figs!). Regards, Kai Last edited by kai; 9th June 2017 at 08:44 AM.