Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
I own & have owned a number of this type of keris.
The blade is stylistically Balinese, it does not pre-date 1900.
We do not classify this hilt style as a raksasa hilt style, but rather as a prabu hilt style, specifically Prabu Ratmaja, who was a raksasa king. The object grasped in the right hand is representative of the tirta amerta vessel, a symbol of life & prosperity.
The hilt is not "solid silver", it is a fabricated and embossed shell of silver over pitch or natural resin, possibly with a wooden core. The silver will be found to be a purity of .925, or close to it.
The "gems" in the wewer (hilt ring) will be found to be pastes, ie, glass. This is not considered to be a negative in Balinese keris, the important factor in Balinese keris dress is the overall effect, and the red "gems" do achieve a distinct effect.
The scabbard will test to approximately the same purity as the hilt, and has been constructed in a similar way, ie, a fabricated silver shell over wood.
The quality of workmanship in this keris appears to be of a very superior standard, both in respect of the blade itself & the silver work.
EDIT
I should have mentioned something about this hilt style:- if the figure has fangs, & I have assumed it does, because you have initially called it a raksasa, then we have Ratmaja, but if the figure does not have fangs, then it is Bayu, God of the Winds.
So, nasty bloke with fangs:- Prabu Ratmaja
Friendly sort of bloke without fangs:- Dewa Bayu
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