Kris hilt with Garuda

Southeast Asian Collection

Accession Nr.: 3092
Type: bone objects; weapons and armament
Date of production:
before 1914
Place of production:
Acquisition: collection of Ferenc Hopp
Materials/Techniques: ivory, carved
Dimensions: height: 11. 7 cm
width: 6 cm
Carved ivory hilt. It is thought to have originally been an accessory for a Balinese dagger (kris). The figural hilt is in the shape of Garuda, the mythical birdman, a very popular character, even features the Indonesian national flag.
The kris is originally a sacred object of Javanese tradition, more than a simple weapon, it is a cult object, a dwelling place of the ancestral spirit, a status symbol.