Javanese Keris (Kris) Dagger with 15th C Blade

Description

A Javanese Keris Solo, with 15th century blade. From the Javanese Hindu Kingdom of
Blambangan. The Keris with a hand forged ‘11 Luk’ waved Wilah (blade), consists of
Pamor steel forged in different layers of iron (pattern type: ‘Beras Wutah Tretep’). Dapur
in ‘Sangkelat’ (Elephant trunk shape). Copper Mendak (cuff) of East Javanese type,
between hilt and blade. Ukiran (hilt) in ‘Yudo Winatan’ shape, and hand-carved from
Tayuman wood. Warangka (scabbard throat) of ‘Gayaman Kagok’ type (kidney shaped)
and made from hand-carved Cemara Gunung wood. Gandar (scabbard body) with brass
Pendok (cover) featuring embossed foliate decoration. Blade length including tang 17
3/8″, overall 18 7/8″.

The Blambangan Kingdom was the last Javanese Hindu kingdom that flourished between
the 13th and 18th centuries, based in the eastern corner of Java. The capital was at
Banyuwangi. It had a long history of its own, developing contemporaneously with the
largest Hindu kingdom in Java, Majapahit (1293–1527). At the time of the collapse of
Majapahit in the late fifteenth century, Blambangan stood on its own as the one solitary
Hindu state left in Java, controlling the larger part of Java’s Oosthoek.