PALEMBANG HILT AND KERIS

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Moshah

I just wonder was pak Ganja's hilt is the one called "palembang hulu burung" or was the attached pix is?

What is the difference between both (except the material difference)? I can see some similar carvings pattern there, but the style is not the same...

Dear Moshah,
Honestly, I am not the expert on this. Just collecting. I think Shahrial (Alamshah) could explain it well.

GANJAWULUNG

[DAHenkel]

Moshah - There are a lot of variations of keris hilts from South Sumatra. Pak Ganja's hilt is generally understood to be a Palembang hilt. Yours on the other hand probably comes from somewhere else in South Sumatra - I suspect Lampung. I recall a couple similar examples provenanced to Lampung anyway. However there is so little information on these areas and unless or until we find a knowledgable local collector the area will remain imperfectly understood. I was just in Palembang and visited all the main local museums but unfortunately the only weapons display - in the Sultan Mahmud Badruddin Museum - was small and included several obviously non-Palembang pieces. It was not an edifying experience...

[ganjawulung]

Thanks Dave,

I've sent message to Karaeng Kesuma in facebook to join this discussion, if he won't mind. He stays in Lampung, and has a couple of Sumatran keris photo collection in his facebook...

Btw, this Palembang hilt. Could I compose it with this silver pendokok?

GANJAWULUNG

[kai]

Hello Pak Ganja,

Congrats, I like the pamor!

Did perseverance do the job or how did you got the hilt off?

Btw, this Palembang hilt. Could I compose it with this silver pendokok?

Looks perfectly fine to me. Most Palembang keris, even with lesser hilts, seem to come with silver pendokok and I was already wondering about the combination of such a finely carved ivory hilt and a fairly simple brass pendokok. Any hints from the condition of the pesi and materials utilized to fix the hulu on how old the combination might be?

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

Thanks Dave,

I've sent message to Karaeng Kesuma in facebook to join this discussion, if he won't mind. He stays in Lampung, and has a couple of Sumatran keris photo collection in his facebook...

Btw, this Palembang hilt. Could I compose it with this silver pendokok?

GANJAWULUNG

Hello Pak Ganja,

the silver pendokok look nice with the hilt and blade. Do you want to give a warangan to the blade or you want to let it unstained?

Regards,

Detlef

[Moshah]

Thanks Dave, pak Ganja and bro Alam for those inputs.

I asked because two things:

1) Normally lampung hilts have long, curved beaks.

2) The hilt picture I posted have similar motives to pak Ganja's ivory hilt motives.

I didn't doubt it will be from Lampung, but was the curves on the posted hilt's body is normal for it's kind?

I really know very little about lampung hilts, so any inputs from all of you are really helpful...

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Moshah

Thanks Dave, pak Ganja and bro Alam for those inputs.

I asked because two things:

1) Normally lampung hilts have long, curved beaks.

2) The hilt picture I posted have similar motives to pak Ganja's ivory hilt motives.

I didn't doubt it will be from Lampung, but was the curves on the posted hilt's body is normal for it's kind?

I really know very little about lampung hilts, so any inputs from all of you are really helpful...

Hello Moshah,

there are a lot of different styles of this south sumatran hilt. But I also don't know how to differentiate between.

Here examples from my collection. The pictures are taken fast so I apologize for the quality.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

And there is a hilt type with similar features but also with style elements from Cirebon. So I am never sure from where this hilt coming.

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by DAHenkel

Moshah - There are a lot of variations of keris hilts from South Sumatra. Pak Ganja's hilt is generally understood to be a Palembang hilt. Yours on the other hand probably comes from somewhere else in South Sumatra - I suspect Lampung. I recall a couple similar examples provenanced to Lampung anyway. However there is so little information on these areas and unless or until we find a knowledgable local collector the area will remain imperfectly understood. I was just in Palembang and visited all the main local museums but unfortunately the only weapons display - in the Sultan Mahmud Badruddin Museum - was small and included several obviously non-Palembang pieces. It was not an edifying experience...

Hi, agreed with Dave's comments about both hilts. Palembang is a tricky place, as we know, it's a centre where many regional forms meet. There are locals in various keris/study groups, concentrating on the local forms. Karaeng Kesuma, is one such collector. There are others..