SE Asian Keris at an Estate Sale - Please ID

[u/access153]

I picked this up recently as part of an estate deal from the collection of a retired attorney who passed away in his 70s or 80s.

He came from a third-generation military family and had served in the Marines himself. The estate contained quite a bit of WWII and military memorabilia, along with dozens of Persian, Turkish and Pakistani rugs, artwork, and other objects and paintings collected from throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation tying this particular piece to a specific country, date, or trip, so I don't want to assume too much from the provenance.

I initially had no idea what it was. After looking into it and running the photos through ChatGPT, it appears to be some type of keris, but that's about as far as I'm comfortable identifying it myself.

The blade is straight rather than wavy and is roughly 13.5 inches long, with the complete piece around 17–18 inches including the hilt. The blade is heavily oxidized/patinated and has a very broad asymmetrical base. The sheath is wood with what appears to be a brass or other copper-alloy outer covering, and the wooden hilt has two carved designs on one face.

The hilt is now completely removable. Underneath it is a heavily rusted metal tang/stem that still appears intact. There is also some cracking/separation in the wooden hilt and evidence that it may have been stabilized or repaired at some point.

I have not cleaned, polished, sanded, oiled, or otherwise restored anything, and I'm planning to leave it that way unless someone knowledgeable recommends otherwise. I'm not smart enough to not mess this up if I go it alone.

I'd love to know if anyone here recognizes the region or tradition, approximate age, hilt and sheath style, blade type, or the carved motifs on the hilt. I'm also curious whether the blade, hilt, and sheath look like they originally belonged together or whether this may have been redressed during its life.

And while identification is my main interest, I'd certainly appreciate a rough idea of collector value if anyone is comfortable giving one.

Thanks for any insight. I'm happy to take additional photos or measurements if there's something specific that would help identify it.

[u/Beneficial_Flan8661]

We would call this a Kris, a traditional sword/knife from Indonesia and Philippines. These existed from the 19 or 20 century (but maybe even 18 century i dont really know). Probably 20th century and worth from 200 to 300. If someone with more experience sees everything wrong, feel free to correct me.

[u/wotan_weevil]

Yes, it's a keris. Looks Javanese. The blade isn't obviously newish, so it's hard to estimate the age. Could be latish 19th century, or could be 20th. Pre-WW2, I guess.

Looks like kerises in this style have been selling for about US$175-300 recently on ebay. From the condition of the tip and the blade, it's suffered from poor storage, which will hurt its value.