Dagger

Dagger with straight thin blade, asymmetrically widening at base. Edges irregular in places. Watery patterning (pamor) not discernable. Hilt is dark brown wood, curled over at end, with slits cut through at inside of curve. Plain base, but otherwise carved overall, with leaves, scrolls, and several rosettes. Ring between blade and hilt missing: scrap of cotton tape wound in opening.

One of a class of daggers called kris, defined by the widening at one side of the blade base. Kris are not only weapons but also works of art and objects of mythical, ritual, and ceremonial significance: in 2005, UNESCO gave the title “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” to the kris of Indonesia.