Appreciation of a Bugis kind

[VVV]

Alan,

Are there really Bugis Keris in Sumba, or do you mean Sumbawa?
I didn't know that they hade any keris culture there at all?
If Sumba, do you have any reference pictures.

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

I mean Bugis-Sumba, Bugis-Sumbawa, and Bugis-Whereverelsebugispeoplehavetouched.

Actually Michael, I have seen photos of people wearing keris in Sumba that look like Bugis keris---in the scabbard of course. I cannot remember where I've seen these pics, but if I do, I'll post copies here. I do not know if there was/is a keris culture there, but the keris seems to crop up in many places where it would be difficult to identify an attached culture.

There is one thing that should not be overlooked:- in my earlier post I reported a Javanese perspective, as that perspective has been related to me. This does not mean it is factual, it simply means that this is the opinion held by some people in Jawa. It is reality for the people who hold the opinion, or belief, but that reality may not be your reality.

[BluErf]

Yes, the hexagonal cross-section has often been cited as a trademark of Bugis blades. I would say it applies to many Malay keris blades of Bugis influence too.

In the world of Malay kerises, you have the Bugis-influenced blades, like the sepokal blades, and the wavy ones with kembang kacang and greneng.

You'd also have the pandai saras group of blades with diamond cross sections, as well as the carita and the melela.

There's also the panjang group of blades, including the bahari and anak alang.

Also, there are some very simple kerises with austere features, like a plain kembang kacang, jalen, gandik, ganja, and effectively a flat blade.

And then finally, you have the keris bethok (the short and broad leaf-shaped blades, like keris budi). (I don't have a pic)

[VVV]

Thanks for the explanation Alan.
It seems probable that if there was a Bugis colony somewhere on Sumba they would carry keris. What I was puzzled by was if there existed a specific distinct Sumba keris culture, like what was the case in Bima, Sumbawa.
Here is an example of the missing blade, debek/bethok, in Kai Wee's excellent Malay keris blade comparison.

Michael

[BluErf]

Thanks for completing the picture comparison, Michael. Just a clarification, a keris debek can also include a normal Malay keris that had been shortened or broken/reshaped. They are different from the bethok type of keris, which is purposely forged to be short and broad. A keris debek sheath is quite distinctive. I have one (no blade) and will take pictures to post online over the weekend. A keris bethok can be sheathed in normal Malay type of sheaths. Hope I don't cause further confusion!

I noticed the pictures in that post had somehow gone out of sequence. And I realized that the Malay blade with Bugis influence might not look so obvious, so I'm posting another one here, with more prominent greneng and janggut, and hexagonal cross-section (unfortunately, picture still doesn't show that last part well).