reversed hilt on palembang keris

[Sajen]

Hello Willem,

I think that the odd look of the join with sampir and batang depend of the perspective you take the picture. Please take a picture from the other side and when the batang is straight vertical. The handle is certain backwards and wrong like this. The pendokok is missing.

My first picture shows how to look your keris with correct attached handle, the two others show how irritating can look a keris when you photograph it with a other perspective.

BTW, can we see the blade? Is it a straight blade?

Regards,

Detlef

[BluErf]

Hi Detlef,

The angle of the joint for the 2nd Palembang keris is a bit odd even from the front.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by BluErf

Hi Detlef,

The angle of the joint for the 2nd Palembang keris is a bit odd even from the front.

Hi Kai Wee,

yes, for sure but like this I received the keris some years ago in Indonesia. The sampir is most proable the original one since the blade fits perfect inside. The cutting point was covered by time with a band from silver which is lost same as the other one at the batang. My guess is that the batang is a later replacement because the original one was broken and maybe was also a part of the sampir broken. It seems to be an old repair. I have a second Palembang keris with a similar joint from batang and sampir also received like this from Indonesia.

Regards,

Detlef

[asomotif]

Sorry for the bad pictures.
I took them in the evening and the strange angle was to avoid frontal flaslight

Here some daylight pictures with the hilt fitted in a 'normal' position.

In this position the hilt is not fitting smoothly on the peksi, and it tends to turn either right or left to another position.

[asomotif]

Here is the hilt fitted in a reversed position.

The hilt fits smoothly on the peksi and lowers about 5 mm's.
In that position the hilt fits very snug and does not want to turn left nor right.

[asomotif]

here some details of the blade.

[danny1976]

Hi Willem,


Nice keris !

The grain of the wood is lovely , try go give it a polish ..
The blade has a nice original stain

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Here is the hilt fitted in a reversed position.

The hilt fits smoothly on the peksi and lowers about 5 mm's.
In that position the hilt fits very snug and does not want to turn left nor right.

It is an acceptable position for a left-hander. I do this sometimes, switching to left-hand configuration, orientate the hilt accordingly for left-handed use.. I can use both hands, so I'll switch as and when I feel like, before dressing.. A picture of me on the 1st Asian Pencak Silat Competition held in Singapore recently, as an example.

[A. G. Maisey]

You've opened my eyes here Alam Shah.

I am most familiar with Javanese society, and in Javanese society it is probably true to say that there are no left-handers.

The left hand is unclean, and we do not use it to give or receive anything, it is unthinkable that a keris could be orientated to a left hand position.

My understanding of what you have written is that in Malaysia and South Sumatera, this non-use of the left hand does not apply.

Is this so?

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

It is an acceptable position for a left-hander. I do this sometimes, switching to left-hand configuration, orientate the hilt accordingly for left-handed use.. I can use both hands, so I'll switch as and when I feel like, before dressing.. A picture of me on the 1st Asian Pencak Silat Competition held in Singapore recently, as an example.

Thanks Alam Shah,
This indeed answers my basic question.
is it possible that this keris was left hand orientated.
It comes from a small old pre ww2 collection.
the blade looks very much orignal to the scabbard and the handle fits very well on the peksi. but in fact in a left hand position it fits best.