Three Early Keris. 
By R. O. WINSTEDT, F.M.S. Crvin SERVICE: 
With Plates V. and VI. 
The three kéris illustrated in Plate V, different views of two of 
which may be seen in Plate VI, are probably the earliest authenti- 
cated specimens in any English collection. To describe them brief- 
ly. The kérts on the left, a curving blade with 13 lok, has a hilt 
showing the features of a Kuropean ina helmet and chain gorget, 
features as caricatured as is the portrait of the Dutchman in the 
folk-tale of Anggun che Tunggul 
Gérham-nya émpat sa-rumpun ; 
Sa-gantang makan daging ; 
Dua chupak lékat di gigi-nya. } 
The small kérzs in the centre of Plate VY and on the left of Plate 
VI has a hilt carved with the Javanese representation of some demi- 
god from the wayang kulit cycle, possibly Arjuna; probably, any 
Javanese could identify it, though writing in England I have no 
means to discover. Itis to b3 noted that the angle of the hilt follows 
the conventional attitude of the Jawa démam or cobra-headed 
Malay hilt, the evolution of which is and probably will remain un- 
solved. It may be remaiked, that the high forehead of Javanese 
demi-gods would seem to point to this artistic type deriving from 
a people among whom binding of the head was a custom. 
The third kéris, which is il!ustrated only in Plate V is interest- 
ing for several reasons:—the blade, by the bye, is damasked and 
has eleven lok. The hilt preserves the conventional angle of the 
Jawa démam; the long-nosed figure (the nose unfortunately has 
been broken off) with its row of teeth has a striking affinity with 
the still longer nosed figure on Patani kérzs hilts, but the back of 
its head is carved with hair like that of the last kér7zs. And it is to 
be noted that the curved conventional ornament round mouth 
and chin is almost identical with that round mouth and chin of the 
Javanese demi-god. 
These three kéris are now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 
and belong to the old Tradescant Collection, which dates from the 
beginning of the 17th century. 
John Tradescant the elder is said byAnthony & Wood to have 
been a Dutchman, but was.probably English even in his name, of 
which other variants were Tradeskin and Tredeskin. He and his 
son of the same name were travellers, naturalists and gardeners 
and introduced into England the lilac, acacia, occidental plane 
and possibly the pine-apple. In the service of George Villiers, 
Duke of Buckingham, the father dealt “with all merchants 
from all places but especially from Virginia, Bermudas, New- 
Jour. Straits Branch 
