Kriss Knife Type

Kris or Kriss knife of the "King Fischer" type Province of Pattani, North Malaysia, South of Thailand XIXth century Wood, silver, iron and metal Long. total 52 cm; Long. scabbard: 56 cm Long. blade: 42 cm; Long. handle: 11 cm (wranaka slots and handle restoration) The handle, called ukiran, is carved in the round. She presents herself as a character from the Wayang theater, known as the "Kingfisher" or "King Fischer". It owes its name to its particularly prominent nose - similar to a bird's beak. The upper part of the scabbard, called the wrangka, is made of dark wood, ending in two side ears with scrolls. The section constituting the body of the scabbard, called gandar, is made of light wood. The kris is a truly masculine weapon. A social and wealth marker, it was also the object symbolically offered to a young boy who became a man. The more the blade was worked and the more the handle made of noble materials, the higher the rank of its owner. The ukiran, carved in an anthropomorphic way almost systematically, is considered an allegory of its owner. Thus, the head would be the hilt, the body, the blade, and the garment, the scabbard. Note that the traditional garment of Balinese men is the sarong - the same name given to the sheath of the kriss. Kriss, endowed with magical powers, is considered a vector of spirituality. It is transmitted by inheritance, which allows it to increase its power.