Makasar-Gowa type keris

[adamb]

I saw this keris on display at a recent cultural festival in the town of Maros in South Sulawesi.

According to the available description it is from Simbang, an area on the outskirts of Maros.

Looks to be a Makasar-Gowa keris, which I've read are thought to be very old (17th/18th century and earlier).

In antique shops in Indonesia I have seen a few examples of keris in the Makasar-Gowa style that I take to be modern, or recent, reproductions.

This Simbang keris looks to be genuinely old (at least the blade, hilt and selut all do), but I have not seen this particular stylistic variant before.

Thoughts?

[David]

I am surprised no one has addressed you post yet.
I agree that the hilt is in the style of these older keris assigned to Makassar-Gowa, but this does not seem to be all that old this is not the style of blade that is to be found in those early examples. The blade here does seem to have some age, but i'm not sure it is any older than late 19th century. The sheath looks like a much later creation, likely karmardikan.
I have attached a number of examples of what the older forms attached to this style of dress look like.

[adamb]

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.

[Rick]

I see a figure on all the gold wrongkos; am I looking at depictions of Garuda?
If I am why does it seem almost obligatory to include it on all of them?
What is the symbolism?

[David]

Originally Posted by Rick

I see a figure on all the gold wrongkos; am I looking at depictions of Garuda?
If I am why does it seem almost obligatory to include it on all of them?
What is the symbolism?

That's a good question Rick. I believe Garuda is the probable answer to who this figure is given what appear to be wings. Of course Garuda is a Hindu deity who was know to be, as the divine eagle, the vehicle for Vishnu. So this symbolism predates Islam in the region. However, as with many elements from the Mojohaphit, aspects of Hinduism remain strong in Indonesia. In fact, the national emblem of Indonesia incorporates the symbolism of Garuda.

[Rick]

Another thing I noticed about the handles, the figure has one leg over his other knee. I don't think I have seen this in other keris culture handles.

I'd also love to see the pamor pattern on the Sepokal keris, it looks quite convoluted and is very hard to see from the photograph.

[adamb]

Hi Rick

Yes the figure seems to represent Arjuna (and/or Bhima), one of the five Pandava Brothers.

Sorry for the rubbish pics, taken on my handphone - I don't have any better ones of the blades.

Originally Posted by Rick

Another thing I noticed about the handles, the figure has one leg over his other knee. I don't think I have seen this in other keris culture handles.

I'd also love to see the pamor pattern on the Sepokal keris, it looks quite convoluted and is very hard to see from the photograph.