PALEMBANG HILT AND KERIS

Sajen · 23rd May 2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moshah

Hi Detlef,

Thanks for those beautiful hilts pics!

i think it bears similarities to your hilt no 1 (the first pix), especially the carving motives.

Is that first pix hilt was a true blue lampung hilt?

Could u post the picture of the first one, this time from the back of the hilt?

Sorry for the inconveniences...

Hi Moshah,

I received the hilt together with the keris and I I ever have thought that it is a Palembang keris.

Here the requested pictures. The keris was shown in this thread before:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10998

Regards,

Detlef

Moshah · 24th May 2010, 05:45 AM

Oh is it...

No wonder I can still recall that kinatah works.

However in that recent post about this keris, the hilt was not really featured, so this is the first close-up isn't it?

Nice hilt. Also now I learned that this kind of hilt is not necessarily means it's a palembang made.

What a cultural entwined we have here...

kai · 25th May 2010, 08:23 AM

Hello Pak Ganja,

Quote:

The fixing material, seems to be traditional -- blackish, and rusty laquer. I don't know precisely what it is. Maybe like traditional javanese 'lacquer' (I don't know to describe it too), but more rusty... (picture below)

Probably damar (or more precisely a traditional mix based on damar resin) which is quite commonly found on Sumatran/Malay keris. Could also be shellac but I'd consider this a non-traditional material for attaching a hilt.

Quote:

The "hard" ivory -- not elephant tusk -- also make the hilt difficult to remove, because of the narrow hole, and the rusty lacquer material.

Yes, looks like a pressure fit enhanced with a thin layer of resin. This can be very tight, especially when rust has developed.

Quote:

The pesi is shorter than javanese pesi, but still in good condition.

Yes, the pesi looks perfectly fine for a keris Palembang. From the corrosion, the tip doesn't look recently shortened, doesn't it?

I'm less certain about the ganja though: Not only does the metalwork look much more crisp than the blade but also the hole for the pesi seems to have much less corrosion than the pesi...

Regards,
Kai

24th May 2010, 05:45 AM	#2
Moshah Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 171	Oh is it... No wonder I can still recall that kinatah works. However in that recent post about this keris, the hilt was not really featured, so this is the first close-up isn't it? Nice hilt. Also now I learned that this kind of hilt is not necessarily means it's a palembang made. What a cultural entwined we have here...