Keris (dagger)

Culture Java

Dateblade perhaps 1700s, grip probably late 1800s

Mediumpattern-welded steel (pamor), tayuman wood, and brass

Dimensions45 × 8 cm (17 11/16 × 3 1/8 in.), 8 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.490.1

Label TextBefore people learned to smelt ore into iron, the only available iron was whatever fell from the sky as meteors. Even after iron smelting was developed, meteoric iron remained a high-status material, partly thanks to its high nickel content, which made it resistant to corrosion. Indonesian bladesmiths often used meteoric iron, folding it with ordinary iron and applying a light acid to heighten the grainy look of the pattern-welded metal. The acid would bite more deeply into the ordinary iron. The serpentine blade is very common on weapons from Indonesia and the nearby regions. Its purpose is esthetic and symbolic rather than practical.ProvenanceMilton R. MacIntosh collection (Cranston, RI) (#67) purchased by the Museum in December 1970. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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