Keris Making

The keris — a distinctively asymmetric, wavy-bladed Malay dagger of extraordinary spiritual and social significance — is the most important artefact in Malay material culture and its production by a master empu bladesmith is a craft of the highest ceremonial status. The finest keris are forged from meteoritic iron and locally smelted steel in a process of intense heat, repeated folding, and symbolic consecration that can take months.