Description:

Dagger "keris", "keris panjang"
Middle Sumatra, Riau (?), 18th/19th century
L. 55,5 cm
The object described here is a keris panjang (literally "long keris"). Keris of this type are attributed to the province of Riau in east-central Sumatra. More precise attributions point to Bangkinang, which constituted an empire near the present-day provincial capital of Pekanbaru until the 19th century. Our example is made of excellent, flawless steel with traces of layered laminate (pamor mlumah) and has very sharp, elegant greneng (teeth). The blade has a shiny, smooth surface, which is often the case with well-preserved old blades. The cross-section of the blade is lens-shaped, the profile slender but with elegantly curved edges, the dividing line on the gandik is sharply defined, and the gandik (blade base, ricasso) itself is thick and strong. The blade shape is classified as a jalak sabit apon. The ivory handle is set in a combined hemispherical socket (selut with integral mendak, stem ring) with decorative granulation. Its shape is called tapa kuda (hulu) because of its resemblance to a horse's foot. It represents an elegant planar abstraction of the originally figurative handle type, which in its original meaning depicts a Shaivite demon figure with tantric iconography. Another derivative of this is java demam (“feverish Javanese”), the basic type of Malay and Buginese handles. The scabbard (sampir) is made of brown wood with a select grain on the mouthpiece. The crescent-shaped mouthpiece with a central decorative bar is typical and unmistakable of keris panjang. The base is inset with ivory.
From an old German private collection, collected since the 1950s - The EU sales licence for this lot is available - This lot cannot be exported out of the European Union

The dagger presented here can be considered a classic and very well-preserved example of this kris type. Kris of this type are sometimes referred to as "execution kris." It was once customary at royal courts in Java to ritually kill nobles for serious adat offenses by piercing them with a kris from behind the collarbone through a cloth placed over them, from the shoulder, into the heart. However, it is more likely that the numerous military conflicts with Europeans since the 16th century led to an extension of the local kris or a hybrid form between European weapons (field swords, rapiers, etc.) and the kris, as it was discovered that the effective European fighting style, based on thrusting, could be easily and efficiently transferred to the kris. Riau enjoys a particularly advantageous strategic location. It lies on the direct sea route from China to India and westward, which had been the archipelago's most important maritime trade route since at least the 15th century. The Kris is represented in the coat of arms of Riau

Dolch „keris“, „keris panjang“
Mittel-Sumatra, Riau (?), 18./19. Jh.
L. 55,5 cm
Das hier beschriebene Objekt ist ein keris panjang (wörtl. „langer keris“). Keris dieser Art werden der Provinz Riau im östlichen Zentralsumatra zugeschrieben. Präzisere Zuweisungen verweisen auf Bangkinang, das bis ins 19. Jahrhundert ein Reich nahe der heutigen Provinzhauptstadt Pekanbaru konstituierte. Unser Beispiel ist aus hervorragendem, fehlerfreiem Stahl mit Spuren von Schichtlaminat (pamor mlumah) und hat sehr scharf ausgeprägte, elegante greneng (Zähnchen), Die Klinge hat eine glänzende, glatte Oberfläche, was bei guterhaltenen alten Klingen öfter der Fall ist. Der Querschnitt des Blattes ist linsenförmig, das Profil schlank, aber mit elegant ausgeschwungenen Schneiden, die Trennlinie an der gandik ist scharf ausgeprägt, die gandik (Klingensockel, Fehlschärfe) selbst dick und stark. Die Klingenform wird als jalak sabit apon klassifiziert. Der Griff ist aus Elfenbein und sitzt in einer kombinierten halbkugeligen Fassung (selut mit integraler mendak, Stielring) mit Ziergranulierung. Seine Form wird wegen der Ähnlichkeit mit einem Pferdefuß hulu (Griff) tapa kuda genannt. Er stellt eine eleg

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Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


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October 1, 2025 10:00 AM CEST
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900 € 999 € 100 €
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