Keris Crossing the Globe: Examining European Encounters with the Keris through Exemplars in the Ethnographic Collection of the University of Göttingen

Salman bin Satriya

Abstract

Preserved in the Ethnographic Collection of the University of Göttingen are 18 Southeast Asian daggers of the type known as keris, an object type that, in its societies of origin, is deeply intertwined with symbols, myths and identities. The keris has a long and continuing history of being collected by Europeans. The oldest of these in the Göttingen collection has been there since the collection’s inception in the late 18th century and the newest were collected at the end of the 1970s. What aspects of the keris interested these European collectors? How was the keris perceived by them? How has the keris been affected by the actions of Europeans? And how did keris end up in the university collection? This thesis attempts to find answers to these questions by examining the provenances of the Göttingen keris collection and putting them in context with representations of keris contemporaneous with their period of collection. In so doing, light is shed on the nature and extent of European involvement with the keris–and by extension, with their societies of origin–and the reasons behind them.

Project Description

The keris, alternatively spelled ‘kris’ or ‘kriss’, is a form of dagger whose origins trace back to the 14th century, on the island of Java in modern Indonesia. Though originating from the Javanese, the keris is widespread throughout insular Southeast Asia including many of the other islands of Indonesia as well as in the neighbouring countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Many cultural groups in this area have made the keris their own, embedding it into their cultural consciousness as an object of prestige, fine craftsmanship and, sometimes, spirituality. Though rarely now ever used for its original purpose of combat, the keris has an enduring place in the material culture of these peoples. It continues to be made and can be found worn or otherwise utilised at parades, weddings, state ceremonies, rituals and other cultural events.
Where then do the keris in Europe fit in this picture? This is not a trifling question as the number of keris in Europe is substantial. A quick search on the websites of the major museums of Europe reveals dozens of keris listed as being in their inventory. The number of keris unlisted is undoubtedly even higher. Uncovering the story of keris in Europe and the stories of Europeans’ involvement in the keris traditions then is the goal of this work, with the Göttingen keris collection serving as a springboard.
Methodologically, this thesis is grounded in historical anthropology. An ethnographic approach is taken to works produced by Europeans that feature the keris. This involves surveying various travel reports, histories, journal articles, poems, novels, paintings and photographs from as far back as the 16th century, when Europeans first encountered the keris. The interactions of Europeans with keris in the narratives of these works are noted and compared. The works are looked through with an anthropological sensibility to discern the representations of keris found within them and the perspective and attitudes behind these representations are analysed. Historical, social and cultural context is taken into consideration.
The information collected is then compared and contrasted with the provenances of the keris in the Göttingen collection, with the view that when set side-by-side with contemporary stories of European-keris entanglements, some more insight can be gained into the object’s provenance, as well as the topic as a whole.
Additionally, some object analysis is also conducted. A visit to the museum depot in the summer of 2024 enabled an examination and photographing of most of the Göttingen keris collection. On this basis, with the consultation of literature and experts, a rough determination may be made as to their temporal and cultural origins.
The compilation of research materials for this thesis started in spring of 2024 and the writing process in autumn of the same year. The thesis will be completed by the end of the winter semester of 2024/25, God willing.

About Me

I started my Bachelor’s degree programme in Göttingen in the winter of 2020. As I arrived in Göttingen from Malaysia, I did not have much planned ahead for my studies but I brought with me my cultural background and my interest in history, literature, material culture and (post-)colonial studies. When I discovered the institute’s Ethnographic Collection, I immediately wanted to get involved with it. This I achieved and during my work in the Collection I encountered the keris it housed. It was a surprise to me to see something so familiar in this new unfamiliar environment. I was drawn to them for that reason and looked for further information but to no avail. I found that the state of research on keris in European collections is quite meagre, a situation that I hope to remedy, in small part, with this thesis.
Additionally, a short contribution by me on the topic of keris as a symbol of ethnic identity in modern Malaysia can be found in the new volume Weltenfragmente (2024), edited by Michael Kraus, curator of the Ethnographic Collection of the University of Göttingen.

Summary of Findings

The thesis currently stands at about 50% of the planned page count. The historical material that has been covered ranges from the 16th century–beginning of the 20th century.
Among the current contents of the work are as follows: I was able to find connections between the keris and major socio-politcal currents of Europe at the dawn and the peak of the European colonisation of Southeast Asia. A subchapter is included that covers the oldest keris in the Göttingen collection and its connection to the phenomenon of European cabinets of curiosities, which in turn is linked to the voyages and expeditions of the so-called European Age of Exploration. The presence of keris in popular European literature of the 19th-20th centuries is discussed in another subchapter.
The little-known ways that Europeans have impacted the keris traditions is currently being explored.