The Invisible World of the Kris

[Patrick]

Dear Keris Collector,

Vanna Ghiringhelli (author of a.o. the book the invincible krises 2 and many publications about the Keris) has made a beautiful new book regarding the Keris.
We are very proud that we are chosen by the author to distribute the book worldwide.

Information and some pictures of this amazing book can be found on: [url]https://www.invisibleworldofthekris.com/[/url]


Title: The Invisible World of the Kris
Author: Vanna Ghiringhelli
Hardcover book containing 141 pages (page 1 - 110 is in English language, page 110-139 is the same content in Italian language)
94 large and very clear illustrations with detailed comments and clear explanations
Size: 28,7 x 22,5 cm
Price: 40 Euro

The kris appears to belong to two worlds, the Sekala and Niskala as they are
known in Bali, two forms of existence which can be defined as the Visible
and the Invisible. The visible world of the kris relates to the use of the artefact,
the forging technique, the materials used, the forms and artistic qualities, all of
which seem to give the impression of an easily accessible world. The entrance to
the invisible world, for its part, seems impervious and requires us to abandon
our way of seeing, our knowledge, traditions, faith, beliefs and habits in their
entirety, to enable us to see “beyond”, towards “the other side”, and “behind the
veil”. Neither of these worlds is easy or difficult, however, and we soon realise
that identifying which one we happen to be in is impossible, as the boundary between
these two worlds is uncertain, weak and indistinct, and their space-time,
real-imagined and visible-invisible coordinates are different from those with
which we are familiar. It becomes difficult to distinguish between living things
and inanimate objects, the tangible and the incorporeal, the present, past and future,
and we come up against inexplicable energies which bear an unknown set
of scales. The only way of choosing between the two paths of this unique world
is to enter one or the other at random, but to enter and accept the invisible world
we need a key. In the case of the kris that key is the awareness that the kris is a
weapon with a spirit. Obviously, there is no scientific explanation for this, but
we have to admit that the mystical, magical and spiritual realm of the kris – the
Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity – is one of those special things which
attract us, just like familiarising ourselves with some of its powers, although we
may regard them as absurd and impossible, and also and especially if they are
now forgotten or excluded.


The Invisible World of the Kris is a book dedicated to oplology lovers, avid collectors,
and to all those persons fond of arms and weapons. At the same time,
this is an essay dedicated to any enthusiast interested in in-depth investigation
of the complex and peculiar world of the kris: this dagger typical of
the Indo-Malay area cannot be considered just as a weapon in itself but also a
unique object rich in deep symbolisms that led to its recognition as a Unesco
Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005.
Notwithstanding the recognition given to this object, its very study field
remains difficult to deepen, and this complexity can be identified mainly in a
general lacking of analytical information related to the topic. In particular, the
bibliography referred to the main theme of the text – the so called invisible world
of the kris – is very scarce and not of common availability.
It is then in this scenery that The Invisible World of the Kris by Vanna Ghiringhelli
finds its own space, with a clear aim – declared by the title itself –
of examining and deepening this interesting subject alluding to the intricate
supernatural, symbolic and ritual world deeply related to the kris. The
founding base of this text is, as a matter of fact, the will of the author to consolidate
the information written by other authors in previous years of study
about the invisible world of the kris. After all, the requirement of such a work
has been expressed by the contemporary specific literature1. The discerning
value of this book is therefore that of providing a straightforward access to a
great amount of information otherwise obtainable only from an elaborate research, thus giving us a number of essential lessons and investigation methods otherwise of difficult accessibility..........