Sumatran keris for discussion

[kai]

Sorry for joining this thread late!

I'm really stumped by this one, too. I think the sturdy blade has very gracefully flowing lines and really nice scroll work; the knob-like kembang kacang became more visible after thorough cleaning and also the unique ricikan details add to its distinguished appearance. I'm at a loss how old this blade might be - could be 300 years (unlikely since the blade is very well preserved) to 3 years (ok, Michael had it a bit longer than that I guess) as far as I'm concerned. If pressed, I'd probably tend towards 20th century although the general workmanship is better than commonly seen on (genuine) recent Keris.

I'm adding one of Michael's pics showing the original hulu and pendongkok - those fittings really point towards a Minang Kabau origin IMHO. I agree that these are inferior and really need to be replaced with nicer fittings. I'm also not sure about the wrangka - those necessary new/restored fittings were my main reason to give it to Singapore were finding suitable good quality fittings is so much easier than in Europe or the US. I couldn't identify the utilized wood, too. BTW, what was traditionally used to stain wood if deemed preferable?

I believe this blade looks better (best?) in Minang Kabau fittings and would love to see pics of the completed piece. Go for it and win next years Keris Competition with it, Alam Shah!

Regards,
Kai