Dagger

Dagger with wavy blade (15 curves), widening asymmetrically at base. Strong watery patterning (pamor) in closely spaced parallel crosswise lines. Dark wood handle carved in form of stylized (ancestor?) figure, crouching on a plain base, head bent forward, carved overall with tendrils, flowers. Cup between blade and handle, usually metal, is brown wood, with half of top broken off. 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.