Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 219:
Keris from Bali are considered some of the finest among the Indonesian archipelago. As Bali is a Hindu society, the influences on the keris have survived the Islamicization of form and design found elsewhere in the region, with some exceptions. As aresult, Balinese keris often sport hilts carved with richly designed Hindu deities in much more realistic manner than the more the stylized interpretations found in other parts of the region, suchas the highly stylized Garuda imagery of the Bugis or Sumatra. The keris played a particularly important role in Balinese society, is used as a ritual tool in almost every Balinese religiousceremony. Standing as 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 claim status higher than that of a Brahman. In Bali, the keris is referred to as kadutan, but the term keris is used as it is widespread through the region. Keris are found with a variety of blade shapes and forms, though the Balinese keris with Balinese forged blades generally display less variation than those from Java which has an extremely wide and disparate field of keris blades, with hundreds of forms and patterns. Keris blades are found in both straight and curved forms, and there is no qualitative or symbolic difference between these two basic shapes. Traditionally, the wavy blade is ascribed as a snake (or naga) in motion, while the straight blade is a naga at rest.This Balinese example in the Schmiedt Collection has a gilded silver and silver wire formed hilt, inlaid with semi-precious stones, and with a selut and mendak likewise inlaid with semi-precious stones. The form of the hilt appears to be a stylized version of the kusia or kocet kocetan (the beetle cocoon) which represents the pupa of a of an insect before it becomes a butterfly. These hilts are supposed to represent a change in the life fortune of the owner.The blade is a rare form with a dapor keris pendang which is supposed to bring power and authority to the owner and is suitable for royalty. The distinctive spiral ganja is called a ganjawilut duin pandan gelung Panji (or a blade crosspiece with a harmonious pandanus thorn, Pandanus moschatus, headdress of Panji) (Neka 2014). The open space in the curled formrepresents the gelung (hairstyle headdress) and profile of Panji in gambuh. Gambuh is the courtly Balinese dance representing stories of Prince Panji of the 12th and 13th centuries. Thepamor pattern is difficult to identify and maybe a beras wutah pattern. The blade displays significant age and older than the handle mounting. A similar rarely formed blade is dated to the17th century in the Neka Museum of Art, bali (Neka 2014).Dates : Blade as early as 17th century, Mountings 20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 28" Blade Length : 20 3/4"References:1. Frey, E. (1988) The Kris: Mystic Weapon of the Malay World. Oxford University Press.2. Mardianto, W. A to Z Sesuatu mengenai KERIS dan TOMBAK KERIS SENJATATRADISIONAL 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: BalineseCeremonial Blades- The Gods & the Forge in a Cultural Context. IFICAH8. Neka, W. S. (2014) Understanding Balinese Keris: An Insiders Perspective. Neka ArtMuseum.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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