Wooden hilt cup and composite wood hilt

[adamb]

"I'm pretty sure what you see on this second hilt is just a variation in the colour of the wood."

David, it is not a variation in the colour of the wood or some sort of natural inclusion within the wood prior to carving the hilt.

The attached photos at x1.2 magnification clearly show that this material overlies the wood of the hilt and that it comprises some kind of orangey-coloured resin that has been carefully moulded to match the form of the hilt, and then both resin and wood have been coated in lacquer.

One of the photographs I've attached here shows where the resin has cracked.

To me it looks like a carefully done repair job, as per Alan's suggestion for the other Bugis keris handle.

If so, the question is: why would someone go to so much trouble to patch up a damaged hilt when it would probably have been easier to get a new one.