Maranao Datu? Kris

Rick · 21st January 2005, 03:27 PM

Welcome to the Kris fraternity Dan !

Now get back to collecting those Daab Dha Darb thingies .
If you can ... muahahahaha .

Seriously though , it looks like a pretty old Maranao blade that may have been re-hilted some 50 years ago . The dress is quite nice , very nice engraving but the baca baca would be too light for a Maranao battle sword IMHO .

BluErf · 21st January 2005, 04:29 PM

Great catch!

I am most fascinated by the greneng -- the 'Y' shaped incisions which I thought was rather unusual.

Spunjer · 21st January 2005, 10:14 PM

the artwork on the hilt is so....beautiful! i hope you left me some good ones. great kris, wilked! do you have some other ones that you might want to share with us?

nechesh · 21st January 2005, 11:18 PM

I agree with Rick. This keris has been re-hilted with a rather nice looking piece at that and the sheath is also fairly new. My guess is that this was not a datu blade at all, but something more common place. It is obviously a pre-1930s style and likely 19thC, but IMO the workmanship is not up to datu class blades. It is not unusal for old blades like this to be spiced up with fancy dress to make them more appealing for sale. Still a nice looking kris that i would be happy to own.

Battara · 21st January 2005, 11:47 PM

Welcome to the insane and confusing world of PI/Moro collecting.

Nice piece. Yes it is a later dress than the blade. I agree more recent. Did you check to see if the fittings are silver or aluminum? The patination indicates silver to me, but a jeweler could test and tell you with certainty.

Ian is a wonderful man, informative, and very patient (I bow in your presence

).

Andrew · 22nd January 2005, 03:32 AM

[QUOTE=Rick]Welcome to the Kris fraternity Dan !

Now get back to collecting those Daab Dha Darb thingies .
If you can ... muahahahaha .

[QUOTE]

I agree, Dan. Wanna sell some dha?

Federico · 22nd January 2005, 04:39 AM

As others have noted the dressing is modern. It has become common practice in many Manila antique shops to dress-up older blades in modern fittings, and then try to "antique" the fittings. In some even trickier shops, they are now re-using old salvaged woods and other materials to give it an older look and color. Particularly in Maranao country, such as Tugaya, one can see a plethora of re-fitted old blades mixed in with newly made ones. I would be interested in what the shop owner had to say about the kris, whether or not he mentioned it as being a re-fit.

Battara · 22nd January 2005, 04:49 AM

Federico, what you have said may explain what I have been seeing on eBay for the past 2 years: old blades with new fittings with varying degrees of craftsmenship, but not in the old styles.

21st January 2005, 03:27 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Too Late Now ! Welcome to the Kris fraternity Dan ! Now get back to collecting those Daab Dha Darb thingies . If you can ... muahahahaha . Seriously though , it looks like a pretty old Maranao blade that may have been re-hilted some 50 years ago . The dress is quite nice , very nice engraving but the baca baca would be too light for a Maranao battle sword IMHO . Attached Images

21st January 2005, 04:29 PM	#2
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Great catch! I am most fascinated by the greneng -- the 'Y' shaped incisions which I thought was rather unusual.

21st January 2005, 10:14 PM	#3
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	the artwork on the hilt is so....beautiful! i hope you left me some good ones. great kris, wilked! do you have some other ones that you might want to share with us?

21st January 2005, 11:18 PM	#4
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	I agree with Rick. This keris has been re-hilted with a rather nice looking piece at that and the sheath is also fairly new. My guess is that this was not a datu blade at all, but something more common place. It is obviously a pre-1930s style and likely 19thC, but IMO the workmanship is not up to datu class blades. It is not unusal for old blades like this to be spiced up with fancy dress to make them more appealing for sale. Still a nice looking kris that i would be happy to own.

21st January 2005, 11:47 PM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Welcome to the insane and confusing world of PI/Moro collecting. Nice piece. Yes it is a later dress than the blade. I agree more recent. Did you check to see if the fittings are silver or aluminum? The patination indicates silver to me, but a jeweler could test and tell you with certainty. Ian is a wonderful man, informative, and very patient (I bow in your presence ).

22nd January 2005, 03:32 AM	#6
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	[QUOTE=Rick]Welcome to the Kris fraternity Dan ! Now get back to collecting those Daab Dha Darb thingies . If you can ... muahahahaha . [QUOTE] I agree, Dan. Wanna sell some dha?

22nd January 2005, 04:39 AM	#7
Federico Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA Posts: 312	As others have noted the dressing is modern. It has become common practice in many Manila antique shops to dress-up older blades in modern fittings, and then try to "antique" the fittings. In some even trickier shops, they are now re-using old salvaged woods and other materials to give it an older look and color. Particularly in Maranao country, such as Tugaya, one can see a plethora of re-fitted old blades mixed in with newly made ones. I would be interested in what the shop owner had to say about the kris, whether or not he mentioned it as being a re-fit.

22nd January 2005, 04:49 AM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Federico, what you have said may explain what I have been seeing on eBay for the past 2 years: old blades with new fittings with varying degrees of craftsmenship, but not in the old styles.