Subject: panggau warrior

Culture: Sumatran Malay

Setting: Jambi, Palembang sultanates, eastern Sumatra/Lampong 19thc

Object: keris bahari kris dagger

Tropenmuseum > Zuidoost-Azië *

"Ceremoniële kris.

Zuid-Sumatra, Indonesië.

Eind 19e eeuw."

* Dallas Museum of Art > Connecting Cultures

"Kris handle depicting an anthropomorphic bird

Indonesia: southeastern Sumatra, Palembang, 18th-19th century Ivory ...

A stylized bird with large oval eyes and a short beak forms this handle from a kris, the legendary dagger.

The kris is at once weapon, heirloom, and ornament. Its traditional wavy blade left a wound that would not heal.

[CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION: Why wouldn't it heal?] The bird motif is sometimes interpreted as

a stylized representation of Garuda, the mythical eaglelike mount of the Hindu god Vishnu."

Sofe Design *

* Dallas Museum of Art > Silk Road

"Kris South Sumatra: Raja of Lampung, c. 1700-1799

Hardwood, gold, nickel, iron, meteorite, bronze, gilt, and ivory ...

The kris is a classic type of Islamic weapon. This example,

which belonged to an 18th-century ruler in southern Sumatra,

has a gold ornamented wooden sheath. The blade is made of a blend of nickel,

iron, and meteoric metal inlaid with gold. The handle is hippopotamus ivory.

The gold decoration has symbolic calligraphy. While the metals and ivory of the kris

reflect trade along the Silk Road, the bird-man on the hilt and the sensuous

plant imagery reflect Indian influences."

Sofe Design *

* Museo de América > El Conocimiento de América

"Cuchillo malayo con puño de madera"

* cf.