Sandro Forgiarini will present a preview of his latest book and will talk about the history, technique, blade, handle and mystique of the Kris. It will also be possible to admire various collectible Kris.
Sandro Forgiarini is a medical examiner, custom knife maker and collector for over 30 yearsyears of kris and other Indonesian blades and art. collaborates with magazines in the armory sector with numerous publications on oriental blades and construction and conservation techniques.
Kris – brief basic elements (taken from “La forgiatura della lama del Kris” by Sandro Forgiarini)
In 2005, UNESCO declared the kris a world heritage site. Not just a symbol of Indonesia, a weapon that has always been part of the daily life of Indonesians and some neighboring countries, but an object that deserves universal recognition due to its tradition and symbolism.
The kris is not just an object or a weapon, it is much more. It is the identity card of the owner, it indicates his personality and his social status, it was used in peace and war, in the most important ceremonies of life, it was handed down from father to son as the most precious possession of the family.
The choice of materials for the blade is important, which are iron and nickel. The latterit should be of meteorite origin and this is the case for the oldest and most valuable kris. Currently, pure nickel or nickel from the recycling of other high-content materials is usedthis mineral. The percentage of nickel contained in meteorites is quite variable and the study on some blades indicates up to around 7% but other authors (Panseri) indicate much higher percentages, up to 26%.
The simplest technique is that of rolling the two different metals which are heated in a charcoal fire and then struck with a hammer. Other times the design can be obtained by applying the metal with nickel on the central core of the previously prepared blade. Then there are more complex processes with results of greater aesthetic value. In these cases the sheets containing nickel are previously twisted to form spirals or circles and are then included to form an integral part of the initial matrix and not simply rolled parallel to it. The drawings thus obtained give the final appearance to the blade which goes by the name of Pamor.
In kris the visibility of the drawings obtained is enhanced to the maximum by accentuating the contrast through the oxidation of the ferrous metal in a solution (Warangan) based on lime juice andarsenic powder. This is done through a ceremony performed when the blade is finished and tempered. The same method is then repeated every year during the muharram period and has the aim of maintaining the external appearance of the blade and renewing its spiritual power (Tuah).
Curiosities and legends: executions with the Kris (taken from “The Kris da execution” by Vanna Scolari Ghiringhelli)
The executions took place in this way: the condemned man was made to kneel or sit cross-legged, the executioner stood behind him, sometimes even in front, holding the keris panjang vertically in his hand.
A cotton ball, tempat penggalan, was placed in the hollow of the left collarbone of the condemned man, the executioner approached, placed the tip of the kris on the cotton and at the signal of the king or the sultan or the local authority, often legitimized by the presence of the kris from the king's golden sheath, forcefully inserted the kris through the wad, obliquely, up to the heart.
The blade was extracted clean, thanks to the cotton, without shedding blood, in perfect fulfillment of the rules of the adat. Death occurred almost instantaneously.There absolutely had to be no blood spilled because, apart from the infringement of the laws, it could signify the innocence of the condemned.
In northern Malaysia, a legend is told in this regard: a Thai couple emigrates from their native Phuket to the island of Langkawi (a group of islands in the north of Malaysia), together with their beautiful daughter Mahsuri.
Mahsuri marries Wan Darus, a warrior from Langkawi. Wan leaves for war and during his absence Mahsuri befriends a young man named Deraman. Envious of Mahsuri's beauty, the village chief's wife spreads the rumor that Wan's bride is unfaithful to her husband, to the point that Mahsuri, despite proclaiming her innocence, is accused of adultery and sentenced to capital punishment. Tied to a post and stabbed to death, Mahsuri does not die and no other execution system has the desired effect until Mahsuri asks to be killed with her family kris. When the executioner carries out his task, a lot of blood flows from the wound and covers the woman's body... proof of her innocence.
A flight of birds veiled that bloody body and Mahsuri with his last breath cursed Langkawi, invoking bad luck for seven generations.
FRATELLI LORENZI KNIVES SHOP
Present in Milan since 1919 and always attentive in the search for Italian excellence and in offering unique and precious objects precisely for their craftsmanship.
It was in the 1960s, in the midst of the economic boom and generational renewal, that the Lorenzi family expanded the range of products from a simple grinding shop
to a trade in objects for everyday use, always maintaining high quality. Even today we offer the best artisanal productions for kitchen, collectible and leisure cutlery built
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The shop offers a total of over 5000 items including cutlery (kitchen, sports and collectibles), personal care products
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Three generations of the Lorenzi family. From the left in the shop in Corso Magenta N.1: Olimpio Lorenzi, then his son Renzo and finally Andrea, Renzo's son. Last on the right is Marcello Lorenzi in the Porta Romana N.1 shop.
