LensTalk | The Indonesian Kris: A Cultural Beacon-Xinhua
LensTalk | The Indonesian Kris: A Cultural Beacon
Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
2025-10-03 22:36:15
This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2025 shows Indonesian Krises on display at Museum Sonobudoyo in Indonesia's Special Region of Yogyakarta.
JAKARTA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Within the walls of the Yogyakarta Palace in Indonesia, guards adorned in traditional attire bear distinctive daggers at their waists. These are Kris swords, honored by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Guards adorned in traditional attire bear distinctive daggers at their waists at Yogyakarta Palace in Indonesia, Aug. 29, 2025.
The Kris has a long history, and its name is derived from the ancient Javanese word for "to pierce" or "to cleave." Its blade, often characterized by a unique wavy pattern, was designed not only to enhance its lethality as a weapon but also to embody profound artistic and martial wisdom. The number and shape of these curves carry diverse symbolic meanings, and some blades are inlaid with intricate gold and silver filigree.
This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2025 shows an Indonesian Kris on display at Museum Sonobudoyo in Indonesia's Special Region of Yogyakarta.This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2025 shows different ways to bear a Kris at Museum Sonobudoyo in Indonesia's Special Region of Yogyakarta.This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2025 shows Krises at Museum Sonobudoyo in Indonesia's Special Region of Yogyakarta.
The creation of a single Kris is a year-long endeavor. Artisans meticulously undertake a process involving material selection, layer forging, acid treatment, quenching, polishing, and decoration. The hilt and sheath, often crafted from wood, ivory, or metal, are adorned with carvings, inlays, and gilding, featuring motifs of deities or animals, forming a harmonious whole with the blade itself.
Artisans hammer metal to make a Kris at the Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 28, 2025.Layer forging is seen to make a Kris at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 28, 2025.An artisan polishes a semi-finished Kris at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 28, 2025. An artisan checks a semi-finished Kris at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 28, 2025.This photo taken on Aug. 28, 2025 at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, traces the journey of a Kris from a simple metal ingot to a refined finished weapon.Craftsmen carve and finish the elegant wooden sheath of a Kris at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on June 17, 2025.A staff member displays a Kris at Museum Keris Brojobuwono in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 28, 2025.A man poses for a photo in traditional attire while holding a Kris on Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 29, 2025.This photo taken on Aug. 28, 2025 shows a massive bridge pillar shaped like a Kris in Surakarta City, Central Java, Indonesia.
More than a weapon, the Kris is a spiritual and civilizational icon, silently witnessing the inheritance and blossoming of Indonesian culture throughout millennia.
