Dagger

Dagger with a straight blade, widening asymmetrically at base. Surface design of small repeated triangles along both edges. Guard inlaid with wavy gold vine and leaf design, small gold hook beneath. Smooth polished wood hilt, bulbous and bent, with decorative carving on outer curve. Hilt style is typical of southern Sulawesi (Celebes). Brass cup with concentric ridges. 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.