Representative dagger in a gift box

Southeast Asian Collection

Accession Nr.: 2000.68.1-2
Type: bone objects; religious or cult object; weapons and armament; metalwork
Date of production:
before 1994
Place of production:
Materials/Techniques: metal, wood, ivory, semiprecious stones, gilt, carved, forged, engraved, inlaid
Dimensions: width: 21 cm
length: 68. 5 cm
As a representative state gift of Indonesian President Suharto (1921 - 2008) to Árpád Göncz (1922 - 2015), President of the Republic of Hungary, this kris (Indonesian: keris) is a wavy-edged, spectacularly damascened, richly decorated artwork. Its handle depicts a typically Balinese motif, the hero Bima, or his father the wind god (Batara Bayu), while the guard features a mythological scene carved from ivory. Lavishly decorated with semi-precious stones and gold plates, the scabbard and its contents are protected from damage by a red-coloured, lined case bearing the coat of arms of Indonesia and the names and titles of the donor and recipient heads of state.