Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 223:
The keris is the traditional dagger and weapon of the Indonesian Archipelago and the most well-known form among the myriad of weapon forms in the region. The main parts of a keris are its blade, sheath and hilt. Each part helps to characterize the keris in terms of origination, era, owner, and symbolism. The blade is the most valued part, in that it holds the sacred power of the keris imbued through the power of the smith, called an empu. There are two main constituents of the blade: the pamor (the damascene design on the blade) and the dapor (the shape of the blade). Keris from the island of Madura off the east coast of Java have fantastically carved hilts with various emblematic designs, some of which are playfully hidden within the complex Maduran floral carvings called gaya kembang, also known as the ginger-flower style, kembang temu (Ghiringelli 2011). The island of Madura is located off the Northeast coast of Java and had a rich royal culture and history with a variety of symbolism employed to represent the royal family. The most emblematic motif in Madura keris is the winged horse called Si Mega, representing a horse gifted to an ancient Maduran prince and which today is still the regional symbol.This overall keris is Maduran and has the classic Madura donoriko style hilt with gaya kembang carved decoration and the carved winged horse Si Mega on the inside curve of the hilt. Themendak is in filigreed silver and inlaid with intan intan diamonds or rock crystals. The blade is an interesting style with a rare integral pamor showing the winged horse Si Mega and with apamor pattern called manikem, or a pattern of circles, running the length of the blade.Dates from first half of 20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 18 1/2" Blade Length : 15 1/4".Shipping is available ONLY within USA, except CA and NJ. No international shipping.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. Ghiringelle. V. (2011) Kris hilts: Masterpieces of South-east Asian Art. 5 Continents6. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2001) Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Leiden: Art Books7. Gardner, G. B. (1936). Keris and Other Malay Weapons. EP Publ.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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