A KERIS Indonesia, Sumatra South-. Palembang province, early 19th c., the blade probably earlier L. 47 cm This excellent keris can be attributed to the city and former sultanate of Palembang in south-east Sumatra. The blade is straight(lurus) and has a flat, lenticular cross-section. The surface is profile-etched, as is common in the Malay region. The cutting edges, gusen, are polished - a typical feature of Palembang keris. According to Javanese terminology, the blade can be categorised as a dapur tilam upih. The pamor (forging pattern) is pattern-controlled and shows drop-shaped and round arrangements. These are created by chiselling out the corresponding patterns and then forging the blade blank flat again. Similar patterns are known as melati sinebar, but the triangular and drop-shaped arrangement seen here is a special case. It probably had an inherent meaning that can no longer be verified. The handle is made of ivory. It belongs to the Jawa Demam ("Feverish Javan") type and depicts a largely abstracted anthropomorphic figure. She is seated in a relaxed posture(lalita sana) on a tumpal pedestal, with her right arm resting against her body and bent and her left hand clasping her knee. The tip of the nose is made of lighter-coloured ivory and fixed in place with fine ivory pins. The hibiscus flowers, the symbol of the ksatya (nobles) of Majapahit, are still recognisable behind the ear. In some places, especially under the chin, the swastika motif (Hindu sun symbol) can be seen in stylised form as a swirl. The surface is mostly decorated with finely incised spiral and ornamental motifs, which represent the limit of what is possible in the fineness of their execution. Sometimes the basic type is called "Lampung Garuda", which gives the incorrect impression that the handle represents a bird (Garuda, Wishnu's eagle from Hindu mythology). However, it is always an abstracted demonic figure from the Hindu pantheon (Shiva Bhairava's demonic retinue or followers, gana), whose originally realistic depiction was probably increasingly abstracted in various forms under Islamic standards as part of the strengthening of the Javanese coastal states from the 16th century onwards. The wooden scabbard sarung shows a boat-shaped mouthpiece(ladrangan). It is made of acacia wood with a select grain (probably root wood). The scabbard style with the pronounced "keel" is specific to Palembang. Palembang is one of the oldest and most important cities in Southeast Asia. From the 6th to the 11th century, Palembang was the capital of the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya. The ruling houses of South Sumatra and Java have been closely linked since the Shailendra period (9th century) at the latest. From an old German private collection, assembled since the 1950s - The EU trade certificate for the sale of this lot is available - Minor traces of age, the handle partly with fine hairline cracks Lit.: Harsrinuksmo, S., Lumintu, W. (1998): Ensoklopedi Budaya Nasional. Jakarta. - Haryoguritno, H. (2005): Keris Jawa. Jakarta. - SNKI (Hardi H. et al.2010): Keris Untuk Dunia (Kris for the World). Jakarta - Hidayat, M. M. (2013): Keris Indonesia. Estetika dan Magna Filosifi (Aethetics and Philosophical Meaning). Yogjakarta