Makasar-Gowa type keris

adamb · 3rd September 2025, 01:33 AM

Thanks David.

There were two other Makasar-Goa keris on display, these ones both with gold fittings, and in the same style as those in the images you've kindly posted. But again, the blades, while most likely old, are quite different from the blades in your pic and the longer one with 5 luk is quite distinctly, to me eye, a high end South Sulawesi Bugis twistcore blade that is probably of relatively recent origin.

I wonder whether, in the case of these two gold keris, these are: 1) period fittings (i.e., 16th-17th century) with new(ish) locally made blades; or 2) very well made 'modern' ensembles--and by 'modern' I mean still likely to be very old but not 16th-17th century as is no doubt the case in your keris pics.

I should note the gold keris with the sapukala blade is owned by a person of very considerable repute in South Sulawesi, and is worth a king's ransom.

3rd September 2025, 01:33 AM	#3
adamb Member Join Date: Oct 2024 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 47	Thanks David. There were two other Makasar-Goa keris on display, these ones both with gold fittings, and in the same style as those in the images you've kindly posted. But again, the blades, while most likely old, are quite different from the blades in your pic and the longer one with 5 luk is quite distinctly, to me eye, a high end South Sulawesi Bugis twistcore blade that is probably of relatively recent origin. I wonder whether, in the case of these two gold keris, these are: 1) period fittings (i.e., 16th-17th century) with new(ish) locally made blades; or 2) very well made 'modern' ensembles--and by 'modern' I mean still likely to be very old but not 16th-17th century as is no doubt the case in your keris pics. I should note the gold keris with the sapukala blade is owned by a person of very considerable repute in South Sulawesi, and is worth a king's ransom. Attached Images