Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 169:
Keris from the southern Sulawesi region of Bugis have a distinctive look and design. Handles are often carved of various materials or cast in precious materials such as silver or gold and set at a ninety degree angle in the form of a pistol grip. These handles are referred to as a kerdas form. While in this example, the hilt displays the Bugis form in cast and chiseled silver with fine floral decoration, the wrangka is a Balinese form with a large boat shaped mouth piece in a rounded batun poh shape (mango-seed) called "gayaman" in Javanese. The keris played a particularly important role in Balinese society and standing as a pusaka, a powerful sanctified heirloom and serving as a strong marker of socio-economic status, a keris could only be made by Pande blacksmiths who claimed status higher than that of a Brahman.This example in the Schmiedt Collection is a fine representation of a cross-cultural form likely indicating the idiosyncrasies of the commissioner. The hilt is in the classic Bugis pistol-grip form, while the sheath is in the Balinese style, with a very finely chiseled silver pendok (decoration covering the sheath wood itself).The blade is a well-crafted 9 luk form, with a polished etched pamor in the more typical Balinese form. The pamor is beautifully crafted with a dual pattern, with what appears to be sulur ringin in the middle with straight lines called Adeg along the edges.Overall first half of 20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 23" Blade Length : 16 1/4"References:1. Frey, E. (1988) The Kris: Mystic Weapon of the Malay World. Oxford University Press.2. Mardianto, W. A to Z â€â€œ Sesuatu mengenai KERIS dan TOMBAK KERIS â€â€œ SENJATA TRADISIONAL INDONESIA A to Z3. Ki Empu Jhuel. Pamor Keris4. Ghiringelli. V. (2007) The Invincible Krises 2. Saviolo Publisher5. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2001) Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Leiden: Art Books6. Gardner, G.B. (2009) Keris and other Malay Weapons. Orchid Press7. Weihrauch, A., Kloubert, U. and Aljunied, A. (2017)The Gods & the Forge: Balinese Ceremonial Blades- The Gods & the Forge in a Cultural Context. IFICAH8. Neka, W. S. (2014) Understanding Balinese Keris: An Insiders Perspective. Neka Art Museum.Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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