Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


1016 - Sumatran Keris Penjang (Execution) Sword with Simple Variant Hilt

The narrow very slightly curved double edged blade measures 20¾ inches (52.7 cm) in length and has a gently tapering lenticular cross section. Lengthwise, relatively parallel lines within the grain of the steel indicate a layered blade construction. A separate ganja (cross piece at the base of the blade) is present. The transition to the hilt has been made with a dark bronze or brass mendak while the round in cross section hilt proper is formed of dark buffalo horn that briefly swells just past the mendak and then gently widens towards the end. The hilt is inscribed with pairs of circumferential lines and concentric lines on the end surround a somewhat eccentric aperture. Overall length is just under 24¾ inches (63 cm) with a weight of about 10 ounces (295 grams).




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