Subject: pendekar warrior

Culture: Javanese

Setting: wars of succession, Mataram sultanate 18thc

Object: keris daggers

Surakarta

* Frey 1988 p50

"The Surakarta style of kris hilt is surely the most beautiful single element in all of Indonesian art. It has an elegance, a grace and simplicity that defies description of sufficient subtlety to do justice to its exquisite form. No picture captures its spirit; its seven smooth planes are lost to tactile sense. The beauty of its austere form and delicate carvings is not well shown in flat illustrations. Only a keeper or collector of these pieces can know them well, and, as in the case of Javanese pamor, familiarity causes one to succumb to the charm of the elegant ukiran.

"Because of its flat sides the hilt is referred to as 'planar'. Except for the patra, the carvings on the inside faces, the hilt is otherwise unadorned. The patra are similar to the kala (demon) masks known as tao-tieh on Chinese bronzes and are curiously like the Arctic [SIC] Haida and Tlingit totem figures."

* World of the Javanese Keris p

Majapahit

* A passion for Indonesian art 1996- p44-45

"[A]mulet kris ... have a fixed hilt and are entirely forged from iron. Following the earlier Javanese custom of attaching the prefix 'Majapahit' to every pre-Islamic antique, these kris are still mistakenly called 'keris Majapahit' in Western literature. The earliest specimens, however, are much older than the Indo-Javanese kingdom from which they derive their name. The oldest are estimated to be more than one thousand years old and it is not known who made them or for what purpose. For a long time they were considered to be a sort of prototype of kris from which all later models evolved. Popular tradition has it that demi-godlike smiths from a mythical past forged them with their bare, fireproof hands. And the Javanese regard them as extremely powerful amulets which provide protection against disease and harvest failure.

"The hilt of an iron amulet kris is fashioned in the shape of a standing or sitting figure whose elementary form is reminiscent of some ancestor figures from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago. The blade is usually straight, occasionally slightly wavy, and shows only rudimentary decoration. ... Amulet kris were so highly prized for their magical properties that they were still being made in many different variants until very recently."

* World of the Javanese Keris p12

"Another enigmatic group of keris have simple blades and stylized human figure hilts made from one piece of forge-welded iron. Western literature generally calls them keris majapahit (a term not used in Solo) and, with little proof, popularly labels them as the oldest kind of keris. They are not worn, and the handle and blade orientation is the reverse of other keris -- the rudimentary ganḍik is on the right side of the front face. Keris majapahit served as amulets to protect crops from disease and bring good luck; they are said to have been incorporated into offerings to the gods or ancestors. In some the hilt is a generalized upper torso with head, in others a standing figure with bent knees, or a squatting figure. Similar one-piece ritual daggers of bronze or iron, with anthropomorphic hilts, have been found in Vietnam and Borneo. The Paiwan people of Taiwan also use daggers of this type but with iron blades and bronze hilts. The distribution of these daggers suggests they are a Southeast Asian indigenous form."

* Zonneveld 2001 p69

"Later examples [of keris majapahit] increasingly resemble 'normal' kerisses. The blade is rather roughly forged. The asymmetrical broadening at its base is far less pronounced than that of the normal keris. The keris majapahit does not have a forged ganja, but sometimes these are indicated by scratching in the blade. Most blades are straight, but undulating blades do occur. On nearly all examples of such kerisses traces of welded strips of iron can be found. Simple pamor is common. The hilt has the shape of a more or less stylised human figure, sometimes standing, sometimes squatting. This figurine often holds its arms folded across the chest and has a kind of small cap on its head. Simpler examples have only a smooth body and head. The front of the figurine usually faces the flat side of the blade. Some examples show the figurine facing the edge (on the side where the base of the blade protrudes least).

"A keris majapahit was presumably never used as a stabbing weapon. It usually goes without a scabbard. If it does have one, the scabbard is of a more recent date, and often very plain."