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Dagger

A dagger with a small human figure on top. The figure is very simplified with limited features.

A dagger with a small human figure on top. The figure is very simplified with limited features.

Origin Java
Culture Javanese
Title Dagger
Date 19th–early 20th century
Medium Iron
Dimensions Object: 17 5/16 × 2 15/16 × 1 1/8 in. (44 × 7.5 × 2.9 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 18 × 4 7/8 × 3 1/4 in. (45.7 × 12.4 × 8.3 cm)
Credit Line Anonymous Gift in honor of Distinguished Professor Roy Sieber, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 88.5A

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About this Work

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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"Dagger | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=88.5A