Minangkabau(?) keris

[kai]

Hello Ariel,

This is a nice, old/antique Bangkinang blade; what's its size - probably of intermediate size usually called anak alang? These got traded widely across Sumatra and don't really help to narrow down origin. As Rick suggests, it's possible that it once had a sheet of silver covering the exposed part of the gonjo.

Scabbard with silver sheet seems to be antique as well; foot as well as selut are recent replacements. Replacing the selut with a simple one made from silver will certainly benefit the ensemble - not that easy to obtain a fitting example though. The crosspiece is interesting but difficult to place - some more close-ups from both sides and the top may help...

Fossil molar is a really difficult material to work with and many/most examples are recent; quite difficult to establish age with these. What does the base and the hole for the pesi/tang look like without the selut? If it happens to be an old example, one might suggest it pointing to the Jambi area.

BTW, quite some heavy rust left at the base of the blade - this needs a thorough mechanical cleaning to avoid further loss. Bangkinang blades are laminated - the pamor is usually of very low contrast though and does not need any etching.

Regards,
Kai