Kris of Sumatra?

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes Detlef, I agree, it is not a keris.

But it is a good sort of a keris-like object to hang on the wall, and as has already been said, that is why Corrado bought it, apart from the fact of low price.

In fairness, it is craft-work that uses the same skills that are used in making a keris:- the blade has been forged, it does have pamor, it is very extravagantly ornamented with kinatah work, the scabbard and hilt have been carved.It does bear a somewhat better than average mendak.

I think this is a good start to collecting keris:- it tells Corrado what not to buy, but at the same time demonstrates the skills used in producing what he should aim to acquire.

David doesn't like the term "Tourist keris" , and neither do I. In fact there never have been many keris that were made specifically to sell to tourists. The only ones I can think of were the Bali things of the '70's & '80's that had flat iron blades and "pamor batik" (patterned blades created by covering with wax, drawing a motif, and soaking in acid).

This keris of Corrado's is not in any way "tourist", it is decorative craft-work, and an urban Indonesian could use it as a wall decoration, just as Corrado has done.