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Artwork Tombstone
OriginLombok
OriginLesser Sunda Islands
TitleDagger (Kris or Keris)
DateUnknown
MediumWood and iron
DimensionsObject: 13 1/8 × 2 × 1 7/8 in. (33.3 × 5.1 × 4.8 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 13 1/4 × 3 × 3 in. (33.7 × 7.6 × 7.6 cm)
Credit LineEskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number80.81.1
This artwork is currently on view.
Image Forthcoming

Greatly valued and passed down as heirlooms from one generation to the next, asymmetrical daggers, kris, were not only weapons but also spiritual objects thought to have their own power. Worn for special occasions and as an everyday element of ornamentation, these daggers were used as talismans and as indicators of social standing. While worn by both sexes, ones owned by women were of a smaller size.

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this page
"Dagger | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=80.81.1