Dagger handle

late 18th or 19th century

Not on view

This kris hilt depicts Batara Bayu, the Hindu deity Bhima's spiritual mentor, an auspicious motif for a dagger, as one of his roles is to ward off evil and offer protection to the keeper of the weapon. Dressed in sumptuously detailed textiles, he holds a kris dagger and is seated on a rocky foliate landscape, enriched with precious stones and inset with elliptical pieces of rock crystal.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Dagger handle
Date: late 18th or 19th century
Culture: Indonesia (Bali or Eastern Java)
Medium: Engraved and chased sheet gold, inset with semiprecious stones and rock
crystal, over wood
Dimensions: H. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); D. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchase, Bequest of Samuel Eilenberg, by exchange and Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert H. Kinney Gift, 2008
Object Number: 2008.422
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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