A typical Indonesian dagger, known as a ‘kris’. With a long blade made using pamor technique (pamor = forged from many layers of iron). The blade features twelve ‘waves’. The visibly very old hilt is a special feature of this piece: it depicts the figure of a ‘Rakshasa’, a protective demon, exquisitely carved in ivory. Atop the hilt ring (‘mendak’) made of silver-plated copper, there is a smooth hemisphere made of ivory, topped with a continuous band of triangular ‘tumpal’ motifs, blended with volutes and tendrils. The ‘demon’ rises up out of additional leafy tendrils, volutes and spirals, with a long, thin, bent arm, a long, thin sticking-out tongue, a mask-like ‘overgrown’ face, an ornamented back of the head featuring three rows of very fine curls of hair etc. The amount of detail on this ivory hilt makes it a true masterpiece by a Javanese carver.
Length: 48.5 cm (the kris in total); 10.7 cm (the ivory hilt).19th century. (ME) ASA

Provenance: Austrian private collection.

Lit.: ‘Blanke Wapens uit de Gordel van Smaragd’ von J. G. Dieles, Seite ‘Krisgrepen uit Java’, Abb. 1, 4; ‘Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago’ von Albert G. van Zonnefeld, S. 67, Abb. 240.