A feast for the eyes.

kino · 19th April 2007, 12:35 AM

Thanks Dave and Lonna for letting me play with it.

kino · 19th April 2007, 12:37 AM

More photos

Rick · 19th April 2007, 01:29 AM

Bone or ivory pommel?
The center looks kind of gray, and along with that plug.....

Lovely work!

DaveS · 19th April 2007, 04:17 AM

Rick: The handle is ivory. The kicker is that it is a combination moro horses hoof, and an indonesian garuda. You can also see that it is offset to the normal angle of the blade, but when you examine things closely you also can easily determine that it was ABSOLUTELY mounted that way. Albert and i have never seen one of this particular style, nor have we ever seen one mounted at this angle to the blade............Dave

elevennevele · 19th April 2007, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveS

Rick: Albert and i have never seen one of this particular style, nor have we ever seen one mounted at this angle to the blade............Dave

It would seem then that this sword when made, or mounted was personalized to be effective for the owner's right-handedness.

VVV · 19th April 2007, 07:16 AM

Wonderful kris!!!

I have seen it's brother in one of the old Scandinavian collections with a resembling "offset" combo of horse's hoof and jawa demam/garuda hilt.
That one is straight, also has twist core and the more Indonesian resembling Ladrang style scabbard.
Another collector friend has another rare one with a classic jawa demam hilt mounted as a pommel. That one with an unusual scabbard with Dayak aso motifs.
Unfortunately I am not allowed to publish them here but both of them are pictured in Karsten Sejr Jensen's soon to come sequel to his earlier book on Keris/Kris.
I am not sure from where this rare hilt variation originates, maybe from North Borneo like the second Kris I described?

Michael

elevennevele · 19th April 2007, 08:16 AM

It would seem that this sword when made (or mounted) was personalized for the owner’s right hand. Unless the person does a lot of back handed swings with their left hand, the angle in the photo suggests it would suit a slashing motion with the right hand like you would swing a bat. It would allow this motion without the person having to twist their wrist much to align the blade’s edge to it's intended target. IMHO.

Spunjer · 19th April 2007, 09:27 PM

excellent kris!

Battara · 19th April 2007, 10:40 PM

Beautiful puppy!

I have not seen asang-asang like that before. I have not seen such okir chasing work like this on Sulu pieces (though the ferrule is Sulu style of okir). The ivory is amazing! Blade is georgeous!

I am surprised at the angle of the pommel - usually you see this type of angle and direction on post 1950s pieces.

Thank you so much for the sharing.

kino · 19th April 2007, 11:37 PM

[QUOTE=Rick]Bone or ivory pommel?
The center looks kind of gray, and along with that plug.....

QUOTE]

What are you trying to say Rick

DaveS · 20th April 2007, 02:55 AM

Michael: The kris looks to me to have been made in sulu, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was from N. Borneo given the close proximity to the sulu island chain.

DaveS · 20th April 2007, 03:08 AM

Jose: In the pictures i sent to you last year, there was one of a Maranau kris with an octagonal silver grip with gold bands and a horn jungayyan handle but from what i can remember the okir was almost the same as on this sulu kris. I wonder if the closeness of the two groups might account for this similarity, as i have never really seen much difference in the okir decoration. Maybe i just never paid that much attention............Dave.

Rick · 20th April 2007, 03:29 AM

[QUOTE=kino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Bone or ivory pommel?
The center looks kind of gray, and along with that plug.....

QUOTE]

What are you trying to say Rick

Just a simple question Kino.

VVV · 20th April 2007, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveS

Michael: The kris looks to me to have been made in sulu, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was from N. Borneo given the close proximity to the sulu island chain.

Dave,

I don't doubt that the blade is Sulu. It was the specific "dress" with the hilt variation that I speculated could come from Sabah based on the resembling kris I have seen in other collections.

Michael

Battara · 20th April 2007, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveS

Jose: In the pictures i sent to you last year, there was one of a Maranau kris with an octagonal silver grip with gold bands and a horn jungayyan handle but from what i can remember the okir was almost the same as on this sulu kris. I wonder if the closeness of the two groups might account for this similarity, as i have never really seen much difference in the okir decoration. Maybe i just never paid that much attention............Dave.

Well geographically speaking the 2 groups are not that close. The Maranao and Maguindanao are closer and do great chasing work. However, their form of okir is different than that of the Sulu group. I am basing my observations on the style of okir used which is more in line with the Sulu group. There is an example of a Sulu kris in Cato that has a nearly identical motif on the silver bands (although I am not in what my wife calls the library/armoury to get the page number).

19th April 2007, 12:35 AM	#1
kino Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 973	A feast for the eyes. Thanks Dave and Lonna for letting me play with it. Attached Images

19th April 2007, 12:37 AM	#2
kino Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 973	More photos Attached Images

19th April 2007, 01:29 AM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,262	Lovely !! Bone or ivory pommel? The center looks kind of gray, and along with that plug..... Lovely work!

19th April 2007, 07:16 AM	#6
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Wonderful kris!!! I have seen it's brother in one of the old Scandinavian collections with a resembling "offset" combo of horse's hoof and jawa demam/garuda hilt. That one is straight, also has twist core and the more Indonesian resembling Ladrang style scabbard. Another collector friend has another rare one with a classic jawa demam hilt mounted as a pommel. That one with an unusual scabbard with Dayak aso motifs. Unfortunately I am not allowed to publish them here but both of them are pictured in Karsten Sejr Jensen's soon to come sequel to his earlier book on Keris/Kris. I am not sure from where this rare hilt variation originates, maybe from North Borneo like the second Kris I described? Michael Last edited by VVV; 19th April 2007 at 08:01 AM.

19th April 2007, 04:17 AM	#4
DaveS Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 327	Rick: The handle is ivory. The kicker is that it is a combination moro horses hoof, and an indonesian garuda. You can also see that it is offset to the normal angle of the blade, but when you examine things closely you also can easily determine that it was ABSOLUTELY mounted that way. Albert and i have never seen one of this particular style, nor have we ever seen one mounted at this angle to the blade............Dave

19th April 2007, 08:16 AM	#7
elevennevele Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 11	It would seem that this sword when made (or mounted) was personalized for the owner’s right hand. Unless the person does a lot of back handed swings with their left hand, the angle in the photo suggests it would suit a slashing motion with the right hand like you would swing a bat. It would allow this motion without the person having to twist their wrist much to align the blade’s edge to it's intended target. IMHO.

19th April 2007, 09:27 PM	#8
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	excellent kris!

19th April 2007, 10:40 PM	#9
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Beautiful puppy! I have not seen asang-asang like that before. I have not seen such okir chasing work like this on Sulu pieces (though the ferrule is Sulu style of okir). The ivory is amazing! Blade is georgeous! I am surprised at the angle of the pommel - usually you see this type of angle and direction on post 1950s pieces. Thank you so much for the sharing.

19th April 2007, 11:37 PM	#10
kino Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 973	[QUOTE=Rick]Bone or ivory pommel? The center looks kind of gray, and along with that plug..... QUOTE] What are you trying to say Rick

20th April 2007, 02:55 AM	#11
DaveS Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 327	Michael: The kris looks to me to have been made in sulu, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was from N. Borneo given the close proximity to the sulu island chain.

20th April 2007, 03:08 AM	#12
DaveS Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 327	Jose: In the pictures i sent to you last year, there was one of a Maranau kris with an octagonal silver grip with gold bands and a horn jungayyan handle but from what i can remember the okir was almost the same as on this sulu kris. I wonder if the closeness of the two groups might account for this similarity, as i have never really seen much difference in the okir decoration. Maybe i just never paid that much attention............Dave.