Bugis Palembang - 7 Luks

[BigG]

Originally Posted by kai

BTW, after scratching my head while scrolling through the pics, I'm relieved that Kai Wee already suggested a Riau origin.

The thing is Kai, though the dress looks Riau, I am not too convinced wher the blade is concern. Can Riau Bugis blade be made like this? In fact I have been told previously that this was a sumatran piece, if not exactly a Palembang piece.

I am OK with any opinion on the matter. It does not detract fme from the fact that I have a wonderful eg of a Malay Bugis variation & of a good vintage here. Please feel free to offer your views.. even a contrarian one.

BTW the hilt is fixed unto the blade & as it fits my grip well, I had decided to let it be instead of chancing any damage to that gorgeous hilt should I try to remove it.

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by BigG

The thing is Kai, though the dress looks Riau, I am not too convinced wher the blade is concern. Can Riau Bugis blade be made like this? In fact I have been told previously that this was a sumatran piece, if not exactly a Palembang piece.

Hi Suhaimi,

The blade on this one looks quite similar to the one in the golden dress that is owned by Sultan Abdul Rahman. And that golden keris is the archetypal Riau keris.

[BluErf]

Ok, found the pic.

[PenangsangII]

BigG,

I can feel it... your keris might as well be a Trengganu piece, though Riau provenance cannot be ruled out also....

[BigG]

My own thinking on this is that, the keris is meant to be a Riau variation of the Bugis design. The overall impact if you will, is that of a Bugis Riau piece. BUT... looking at the qlty of metal used... the formation of the pamor used... this piece reeks of the bouquet of a Palembang made blade.

And Palembang, the Riau Islands and the southern Johor state in the peninsula are all cheek by jowl wth each other in that region... so cross cultural influence, trade etc would have made it very possible that there is a strong influence of Palembang in the manufacture of this blade.

But again, I am OK with looking at this as either, as it still cannot detract me from the fact that this is a very nice piece...

[Battara]

NICE! Would love to see the whole scabbard too......

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by Battara

NICE! Would love to see the whole scabbard too......

You can see it (( here )) ..
Taken when the piece was on display at the Malay Heritage Centre some year ago. Now, it is again in Singapore, as part of the "Sumatra: Isle of Gold" exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

[khalifah muda]

Originally Posted by BluErf

Ok, found the pic.

Similar Riau example:

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by khalifah muda

Similar Riau example:

I'm not completely sure, but your keris looks Peninsula to me. The hilt looks Terengganu, and the blade could be too. The sheath also looks more Northern Malay than Southern Malay/Straits Bugis.

[khalifah muda]

Originally Posted by BluErf

I'm not completely sure, but your keris looks Peninsula to me. The hilt looks Terengganu, and the blade could be too. The sheath also looks more Northern Malay than Southern Malay/Straits Bugis.

It's about the blade - a Bugis Riau.

[David]

Originally Posted by khalifah muda

It's about the blade - a Bugis Riau.

Is it? I have always been just a little confused on this front, but it is my understanding that when we assess a dressed keris as a whole ensemble (as opposed to simply assess just the blade) it is usually assigned it's origin according to it's dress. I'm i incorrect on this?