Moro Kris

[kai]

Originally Posted by rasdan

Anyway, im not sure how to really tell if its hardened or not, but judging from the steel edge color, i think it is.

Rasdan, do you know how the blade was treated/etched?

For the age, well.. i sure think its an old piece, not because it is mine but because of the condition of the tang.

I also think this blade is antique (e. g. there's some wear at the gangya's file work and considerable corrosion at the tip possibly from repeated etchings by a Malay owner). I don't see a reason to place it earlier than 2nd half of 19th c though.

(Unfortunately i did'nt get that Cato's book on eBay recently..

Go for one of the next copies...

Is it possibble that the keris is introduced by the Bugis to Philiphines?

The Moro and Bugis seemed to have had close ties, even beyond those given by their roles as dominant sea traders. But there were also close with several sultanates on Borneo. And there's still the possibility that the Moro ancestors brought keris with them when colonizing the archipelago.

I come across this website sometime ago and noticed that the sword used in the installation ceremony in the Gowa kingdom in South Sulawesi is a Sundang.

AFAIK, a Sundang doesn't necessarily refer to a Keris Sundang aka Kris but could be some other kind of (straight) sword. This also limits the interpretation of Woodwards account if there is no other supporting evidence. Is there an indigenous word for Keris Sundang in Buginese/Makassarese?

This makes me think, the bugis priced sundang's quite highly if it is used in the installation ceremony, not just merely a weapon. A weapon appreciated like that most probably originated from their own culture.

Quite a few royal heirlooms seem to have originated from outside the respective kingdoms if I recall correctly.

Perhaps it is the Bugis that introduced the sundang to Philiphines. Like Leaf said, they dispersed throughout the archipelago in late 17th C and surely brought their weapon with them.

This might be one of the factors for its distribution over the Riau region and other northern Malay areas. However, trade (which demonstrably included blades) might be a more pervasive (and much older) power in dispersing weapons of status. So, any provenanced, old non-Moro pieces available for public view?

Is it possibble that the Moro adopted the bugis sundang as their weapon in the 18thC?

IIRC, Mabagani thinks that the evolution of the Kris in Moroland predates the Bugis diaspora. Could you please elaborate?

There are examples of sundangs owned by the sultan of Perak and Terengganu which has a high Moro taste. The pictures are attached below.

Thanks, Rasdan! Is there additional info which would allow to date these pieces better than by reign period (most conservative assumption)?

Regards,
Kai

[MABAGANI]

If the sword were secure to a hilt, you could try a test cuts, it should slice cleanly like a cutting sword if its sharp and holds an edge.
I'm going to let the evolution thing rest again, there are plenty of early influences culturally and within the variations of keris themselves to say the kris could have come from different origins but to pinpoint one without any decent examples and repeating an unfounded theory doesn't hold well. Early kris from Mindanao and Sulu have regional markers that held for centuries even to the present day where one can state the territory they were made.

[rasdan]

Hi all,

I'm not sure how it is treated, but i guess with the ordinary sour coconut water. I'm afraid the pctures are the only info i have at the moment. I'll try searching in aome other literature. As for the origin etc, i metioned earlier that i lack knowledge of this weapon and my statement above is more a question than a theory. I have no idea if the theory has been discussed previously..hmm.. I probably had missed it. Btw, I think i'll give a test after this to determine if it is tempered or not. Thanks for the opinion and advice guys..

Regards,
Rasdan

[Battara]

Say, Rasdan, where did the scans come from?

[rasdan]

I starting to feel that theres too much "hi".. hehe.. Anyway.. Hi Jose..

Its from a book published by the Malaysian Handicraft Authority. If i'm not mistaken, the kerisses are in the Malaysian National Museum, but they dont put it on dispay at the moment.

Regards,
Rasdan