Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ian · Today, 04:27 AM

Hi Tom,

Very nice "archaic" style kris. There is a reasonable chance that this one has a twist core blade and the anting is a good find. The pommel lacks a crest to its kakatua pommel; while not an uncommon finding, I tend to see this more on Malay style kris. Also the rattan wrap is plain rather than something more interesting (silver, horn, etc.).

Lastly, the blade has a long tapering point and seems more slender than many 19th C kris. The tapering to an acute point is, I believe, a throwback to the stabbing function of the keris carried over to this style of kris. Two possibilities arise: (i) this is a very old kris (very unlikely from the general condition of the blade), or (ii) this is a 19th C kris from western Borneo or Brunei (much more likely).

I have a well documented Brunei kris that dates to no later than the mid-1840s with a very similar shaped blade and a twist core panel. In Brunei culture it would be called a sundang or a kris sulu. I believe yours may be of similar origin. There was a long association between Brunei and the Sulu sultanates, so the Moro kris was well known in Brunei. Similarly, the Sulu sultanate held territory in northern Borneo well into the 19th C until somewhat displaced by the British. Moro kris would have been well known in those areas also. Such knowledge likely extended south of Brunei to Sarawak.

Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak (all parts of Malaysia) seem the most likely sources for Melayu swords that resemble Moro kris but also retain some of the features of keris (narrower blade, acute stabbing point). It is my suspicion that the substantial majority of "archaic" kris that appear on the market today originated in these areas of Borneo where the keris is still produced. As such, it is possible that Melayu swords produce in the 19th C and later may have resembled much earlier transition swords used in Sulu and other Moro settings. However, just because they have an "archaic" appearance does not mean they are all pre-1800. That would require much more rigorous evidence to establish.

It is a very interesting piece. Good find.

Regards, Ian

Today, 04:27 AM	#7
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,685	Hi Tom, Very nice "archaic" style kris. There is a reasonable chance that this one has a twist core blade and the anting is a good find. The pommel lacks a crest to its kakatua pommel; while not an uncommon finding, I tend to see this more on Malay style kris. Also the rattan wrap is plain rather than something more interesting (silver, horn, etc.). Lastly, the blade has a long tapering point and seems more slender than many 19th C kris. The tapering to an acute point is, I believe, a throwback to the stabbing function of the keris carried over to this style of kris. Two possibilities arise: (i) this is a very old kris (very unlikely from the general condition of the blade), or (ii) this is a 19th C kris from western Borneo or Brunei (much more likely). I have a well documented Brunei kris that dates to no later than the mid-1840s with a very similar shaped blade and a twist core panel. In Brunei culture it would be called a sundang or a kris sulu. I believe yours may be of similar origin. There was a long association between Brunei and the Sulu sultanates, so the Moro kris was well known in Brunei. Similarly, the Sulu sultanate held territory in northern Borneo well into the 19th C until somewhat displaced by the British. Moro kris would have been well known in those areas also. Such knowledge likely extended south of Brunei to Sarawak. Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak (all parts of Malaysia) seem the most likely sources for Melayu swords that resemble Moro kris but also retain some of the features of keris (narrower blade, acute stabbing point). It is my suspicion that the substantial majority of "archaic" kris that appear on the market today originated in these areas of Borneo where the keris is still produced. As such, it is possible that Melayu swords produce in the 19th C and later may have resembled much earlier transition swords used in Sulu and other Moro settings. However, just because they have an "archaic" appearance does not mean they are all pre-1800. That would require much more rigorous evidence to establish. It is a very interesting piece. Good find. Regards, Ian Last edited by Ian; Today at 04:40 AM.