PAUL'S KERIS PAGE

The Sheath

Like the hilt, the sheath of a keris varies from region to region
but there is a common design among the varying styles. The sheath 
comprises a large cross-piece and a stem, which makes it look like a 
capital T. The cross-piece is called a wrangka in Javanese 
and sampir in Malay. The cross-piece is designed to take the flaring 
base of the keris but on the practical side, it does away with a special 
brace for carrying the keris as you just have to insert the keris into
one's sash or belt and the cross-piece provides a stable anchor.

Most of the regional difference are seen in the design of the
wrangka. In the Balinese and Javanese keris, the wrangka comes 
in basically two forms, the Ladrang and the Gayaman.

In the Ladrang, the upper ends of the wrangka curl up while the 
lower ends curve inward towards the stem making it look like a boat 
with a swirling bow and stern. The Gayaman is flat and somewhat 
oblong, like an elongated hamburger. In the Javanese gayaman, one
can still make out the outline of a boat, particularly the Gayaman
design Jogyakarta.

The boat is most clearly seen in the Palembang wrangka. It does 
not take a lot of imagination to see the bow, stern, and the keel in
the wrangka.

The Malayan wrangka, or sampir, is squarish or rectangular in 
shape. It has very slightly upturn edges and an inward curve on the 
lower edge on one side. This corresponds to the bow of a boat.

There is a belief that the wrangka or sampir is a represantation 
of the moonboat of Malay/Javanese legends but it could be a lagacy of
fact that the Malay race, from its earliest times, is a sea-faring people.

The sheath are in the main made of wood. Special woods with
attractive grains are chosen. The kind of wood used and its grain 
is believed to have magical properties which contain or restraint the 
power of the keris. Hence old keris sheaths invariably have wood 
in them. Old sheaths of silver and gold are actually wooden sheaths,
covered in sheet metal. Sheaths made entirely of metal, bone, or
ivory are new developments, most likely to please foreign tourists.
In Java and Bali is Timoho or Pelet (Kleinhoven Hospita Linn). 
Teak Gembol or Jati and Sono (don't know the botanical names here)
are also popular. In Malaya and Sumatra, the premier wood is 
Kemuning (Murraya Paniculata Jack). In Bali, so important is Pelet
wood that even if there is a gold sleeve made for the stem, 
there would be a window or two to show the wood. Most times
the metal sleeve would be restricted to the rear of the sheath so
that the entire front portion is exposed. Only in rare exceptions or
relativly new pieces is the Bali sheath completely covered sheet 
metal

Sheaths sometimes come in metal sleeves of brass, white metal, 
silver or gold. This is particularly so for Javanese pieces. 
In Java, the metal sleeve is called pendok. It comes in two main 
forms; the bunton, which is a full metal sleeve or the blewah
which has a section almost the length of the sleeve about 8mm wide 
cut out in the front. This is to allow the wood of the sheath to 
be displayed.

In Malaya, the sleeve is called the slorok. While the full
slorok is common, it is almost impossible to find one with a cut 
like the Javanese blewah. So to show off the wood beneath the slorok,
the Malays fit the slorok in sections either two or three so that the 
wood will be exposed between sections.

Click on where you want to go

1.  The Keris - Forward & Contents

2.  The Keris - An Introduction

3.  The Blade

4.  Details of the Blade

5.  Dapur

6.  Pamor

7.  Pamor Types

8. The Hilt, Sheath and Other Fittings

9.  The Hilt

10.  The Hilt Rings

11. The Sheath

12. The Mystical Aspect

13. Why I like the Keris...A technical and Cultural View

14. References

GALLERY

LINKS

Keris Cleaning During Muharram

THE Friends' Gallery

If you want to talk keris mail me at :
dspf@pacific.net.sg