18th-19th C. Javanese Kris Sword with Inlaid Script Blade

Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Java. An Indonesian kris (keris) short sword, with age and wear suggesting it was made in the 19th century, if not earlier, the straight pattern-welded blade forged with a visible watered lamination and inlaid script along its length, possibly protective verses or mantra. Crouching figures are worked beneath the flared gonjo at the blade base. The hilt is carved hardwood in a figural form with dense incised ornament and a lustrous patina, set on a silver mendak collar of 82% silver, with light remains of gold wash. The plain wood sheath shows honest age throughout. In Javanese culture the keris is far more than a blade. Held to possess its own spirit, or isi, it is passed through generations as a family heirloom, consulted, ritually cleansed, and honored as a member of the household. The wavy or straight blade is built from pamor, a laminated composite of iron and nickelous ore folded and forged to reveal contrasting patterns, each with its own name and auspicious meaning. The presence of inlaid Arabic script reflects the layered religious history of Java, where Islamic devotional formulae and older animist and Hindu-Buddhist beliefs coexist; such inscriptions, often Quranic phrases or invocations, were added to charge the weapon with protection and good fortune. The gonjo, the separate guard-piece at the blade's base, and the figural hilt (often depicting deities, ancestors, or mythic beings) are integral to the keris as a complete cultural object. Item # 203779

Estimate:$250

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