A keraton (?) keris in east javanese dress, where is the blade from?

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I have yet to see any Javanese hilt or selut that has similar design elements to the hilt & selut on this keris. The fluted body of the hilt is something I cannot recall from anywhere, the stiff, tense execution is something that I'm more used to seeing in recent hilts, rather than in older ones, the selut is quite similar to some Sumatran styles, the gold selut looks like good quality modern gold plate, not gilding. To my eye there is nothing I can see in this hilt that would cause me to align it with anything I have previously seen, except perhaps the demon's head.

May I ask a few remedial follow up questions about the feelings this piece gives? Do you think the fluted body is related to the drapery folds on some Madurese donorikko hilts or 18th century European sword hilts?

The selut style that is Sumatran is the granulation not the shape? This patten of granulations is often combined with pierced work, correct?

Age wise for the hilt are we thinking late 19th century if older Post 1950 or post 1980 if not? The selut is post 1980?

In any cast it is a very fetching keris, even if it is "stiff".