Kris Dagger with Carved Handle

The Kris that is so very well recognised today is said to have started out life in around 1361 AD in the kingdom of Majapahit, East Java.

Even though the Kris is most commonly associated with Indonesian culture, it is also a traditional dagger or sword from Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Both men and women wore a kris although a womans kris would be smaller. The were not just a ceremonial dagger either - the were much more than that.

They symbolised social status and wealth. They were handed down from one generation to another and a man was considered naked if he ventired into public without his kris.

The kris is also known as a kelis, keris, cryse, kriss, criss, and creese.