My new Palembang kris

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by David

While this selut is a little unusual and perhaps a bit blingy for this modest keris, it does appear to be well made and specifically created for this hilt. The metal appears to be silver if i am not mistaken. The stones could be quartz or the might just be glass. There seems to be a bit too much sparkle for these to be low quality diamonds and i doubt someone would have put high quality diamonds on this selut. The obvious answer to how to solve this question is simply to bring the selut to a jeweler for appraisal. There is no way t tell from your photographs what these actually are.
If this were mine, aside from cleaning the blade i would polish up the silver on that selut. Silver is not meant to appear tarnished on a keris. Also, your wood looks a bit thirsty. I think this keris will clean up nicely. And even if the selut is a bit flashy for the this otherwise humble keris i think i would keep it rather than replace it.

I agree with David, I woudn't change something by this keris.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

I agree with David, I woudn't change something by this keris.

I beg to differ, Detlef: IMHO this selut is an abomination! I'm not referring to the "stones" but rather to its broad opening! This certainly is a later replacement and crafted by someone with pretty one-dimensional skills regarding metalwork. The hilt shows very well how the selut should really taper out with an elegant curve (also some suitable examples shown in this thread)!

OTOH, the hilt is perfectly fine. I'd give it some more TLC: It seems to have been painted at some point; I'd keep oiling it and working the surface with very fine steel wool until obtaining a pretty uniform surface. If done correctly/gently, even most of the actual patina of the wood may remain.

The blade looks like an imported blade, possibly from Madura? (It may also be locally done - Palembang is known to copy styles from all over, especially from Jawa and Sunda. Do I assume correctly that the scabbard is a good fit for the blade?

Except for the selut, this is a good ensemble possibly originating from Palembang or likely Lampung. While keris from Madura/Jawa/Sunda are much more numerous, keris from southern Sumatra are not extremely rare (especially in NL) - just keep looking!

Regards,
Kai

[milandro]

the fit with the scabbard is perfect

[kai]

Great, sounds like a genuine ensemble. As I mentioned it's common to have a wide diversity of blades in keris from southern Sumatra.

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

I beg to differ, Detlef: IMHO this selut is an abomination! I'm not referring to the "stones" but rather to its broad opening! This certainly is a later replacement and crafted by someone with pretty one-dimensional skills regarding metalwork. The hilt shows very well how the selut should really taper out with an elegant curve (also some suitable examples shown in this thread)!

Hello Kai,

Yes, the selut or pendokok isn't a masterwork of art but seems to be made for this hilt. To find a good fitting old classic one will be a challenge! Or you need to find a jeweler who will be able to work a new one. So I would keep this one by the ensemble until an other one will cross my way. We don't know if the one in question is worked in Indonesia because the original was damaged or worked in the Netherlands by a collector, is it the first case it is part of the history of this keris.

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

Personally I can see nothing at all wrong with this keris.

It is what it is, and what it is , is the keris of an ordinary man.

That ordinary man added a little bit of bling, something he could afford. I don't like the blingy little cubics --- if that's what they are --- but the man who put them there did, and as such they are a legitimate comment on the society from which the keris comes.

Yes, the selut has clearly not been made specifically for this keris, but it is a fact of life that ordinary men buy ordinary fittings in an ordinary pasar at ordinary prices, this is because they have ordinary incomes.

The hilt itself needs some minor repair. Jean has suggested a way of doing this, I would do something similar, but I'd use jabung to do it, which is what would be used in its place of origin.

Too much fiddling with original artefacts by people who do not understand the acceptable parameters in the societies from which these artefacts come eventually results in artefacts that are no longer representative of those societies, but rather of the tastes and standards of people who have never been near the originating societies.

It is a decent, representative keris, accept it for what it is.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

The hilt itself needs some minor repair. Jean has suggested a way of doing this, I would do something similar, but I'd use jabung to do it, which is what would be used in its place of origin.

Too much fiddling with original artefacts by people who do not understand the acceptable parameters in the societies from which these artefacts come eventually results in artefacts that are no longer representative of those societies, but rather of the tastes and standards of people who have never been near the originating societies.

It is a decent, representative keris, accept it for what it is.

Very well said Alan.

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Too much fiddling with original artefacts by people who do not understand the acceptable parameters in the societies from which these artefacts come eventually results in artefacts that are no longer representative of those societies, but rather of the tastes and standards of people who have never been near the originating societies.

It is a decent, representative keris, accept it for what it is.

THIS ^^^^^