Keris Banjarmasin

[David]

As one novice to another DrD, your questions are appreciated.
These are not a keris form i know all that much about, but i would assume that the jeweled hilt variety, while most easily recognizible, would not necessarily be common since the jewels are an obvious sign of wealth. I would imagine that Michaels third example is probably more common.
Is the ID of these keris based solely on the dress. To my eye the first 2 look to be at least Jawa influenced keris if not actually from there. Michaels third example is obviously Bugis and BluErf's is IDed as coming from Buton (Sulawesi) with a Banjarmasin hilt, so it is Bugis also. Was there much Keris forging in Banjarmasin and did they ever develop any particular blade forms that can be IDed as specifically Banjarmasin?

[VVV]

Drdavid and David,

From the sources I have read it seems as if the typical characteristics of a Banjarmasin Keris is the dress (hilt and sheath).

The older blades were usually imported, mostly from Central Java. After Islam was introduced Bugis and Malay influence increased.
But a few of the blades were also locally produced in the style of the other regions.

The reason diamonds are used in abundance was because they were found in large amounts in the nearby Matapura. So probably they were relatively cheap? Usually they are not of a very high quality.
Also it's quite common that the Mendak is integrated in the hilt. The no 2, Garuda, example was the most popular one of the diamond and gold hilts.

The sheaths comes in several variations but the typical Banjarmasin sheath is the chubby Gayaman version that's smaller than the Javanese versions. A bit like a cross of the Gayaman and the crescent-shaped Sumatran/Malay Wrangka (Tangala/Sabit Bulan).
Like Gayo Keris it seems as if there was a lot of individual taste in the orders of the dress. That's why I was curious to see other Banjarmasin Keris on this thread.

Obviously Banjarmasin was a prosperous outpost because of the natural resources and the trading. So those that made a fortune there developed their own local hilt fashion that would have made even Liberace RIP happy.

Michael

[Naga Sasra]

VVV
You asked for other Banjarmasin pieces, the attached piece reflect a handle and dress that could be considered typical for the culture. (If there is such a thing as typical)

[VVV]

Thanks!

That's a nice one.
Do you have a picture of the hilt that shows "the face of the Garuda"?

Michael

[Naga Sasra]

Michael.
Attached please find the photos you requested

[VVV]

Thanks!

It looks the same style as BluErf's Banjarmasin hilt, as well as my Sumbawa hilt. More obvious Garuda than the fairly abstract Kerdas hilt.
Triangular beak, eyes and crown. He is even holding the Amrita vessel, with the nectar of immortality that Garuda took from the Nagas, at the chest.
I wonder why the Banjarmasin hilts doesn't seem to hide the Garuda origin as much as the Bugis hilts?

Michael

[BluErf]

Banjarmasin hilts - i.e. those covered with intan-intan (rough cut diamonds) - are made into all sorts of hilt forms, such as the 7-planar Javanese type, the Jawa demam type and the kerdas type shown here. This is not surprising, in my opinion, given that Banjarmasin sits at a confluence of cultures and along established intra-archipelago trade routes.

I have seen a Banjarmasin hilt on a South Sumatran keris, sourced from Sumatra. Coupled with the East Javanese keris (judging from the sheath) that Michael has above, I think there could be a case of Banjarmasin hilts made for export. Hence, the availability of hilts made to various forms.

I agree that the more distinctive Banjarmasin keris sheath is that gayaman-alike style with rounded daun-daun tips, like that posted by Naga Sasra. Sometimes, the hilt may be normal wooden ones, in jawa demam form, covered in geometrical motifs.

On the Bugis-style pistol-grip Banjarmasin hilts, I thought they are more heavily decorated because of stylistic preferences, just like Minang Kabau jawa demam hilts are more heavily carved compared to Riau and S. Malayan jawa demam hilts. The kerdas hilt is most likely an evolved form of the jawa demam. If the jawa demam is an abstract garuda, then the kerdas hilt would also be an abstract garuda. The Banjarmasin hilt is probably more of a case of floral motif evolution than a return to the recognition that the kerdas hilt is garuda, I thought. This is a topic for a separate discussion though.