668 - Kris with Pamor blade, demon hilt, glass-set hilt ring and carved Warangka, probably Bali

Kris with Pamor blade, demon hilt, glass-set hilt ring and carved Warangka, probably Bali Wood and iron, Indonesian kris. The wavy blade with several Luk and forged, distinctly etched Pamor across the entire blade surface, the blade base (Ganja) asymmetrically flared and with serrated Greneng at the edge. Between blade and hilt the hilt ring (Mendak) of yellow metal set with small glass stones in turquoise and red. The hilt (Ukiran) of ebonised wood, carved in the round as a demon figure (Raksasa) with headdress. The scabbard (Warangka) of ebonised wood, the broad crosspiece with scrolled end and Kala mask, the shaft (Gandar) carved in relief overall with dense scrollwork, mask heads and flower rosettes. Condition commensurate with age, the wood with scratches and small chips, the blade stained and pitted. L. 56 cm, blade length 37.5 cm The kris is the traditional dagger of the Malay-Indonesian world, at the same time a mark of status and an heirloom; UNESCO proclaimed it a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage in 2005 and inscribed it in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The wavy blade with an odd number of curves, called Luk, is made by forge-welding several layers of iron and steel, whose differing composition emerges after etching as a light pattern, Pamor. On Bali hilt and scabbard are particularly richly carved: the hilt frequently shows a demon or ancestor figure with gemstone or glass setting on the hilt ring, and the crosspiece and shaft of the Warangka bear dense scrollwork with mask heads such as also adorn the temple architecture of the island.