Kris Hilts: Masterpieces of Southeast Asian Art / Vanna Scolari Ghiringhelli

This book reveals the mysterious world of the kris—the hilts of the traditional weapons of Indonesia and Malaysia, which have long been collector’s items. Kris are objects of great beauty—daggers carved, chiselled, or incised by artist-craftsmen with deep knowledge of the symbolism and traditions of their lands. Java, Sumatra, Bali, Madura, Sulawesi, and Malaysia—each island has its own type of hilt, with its own symbolism and magic. Their images range from geometric abstractions to human, divine, plant and animal, and demon figures. They are made from wood, fossil, ivory, gold, and whalebone and serve as a gateway between the visible and invisible worlds.