Blades of the Gods

The Barong tale goes back to the 10th century to tell the story of a Balinese prince named Erlangga.

The story tells how Erlangga's father, King Dharmodayana, condemns his wife Mahendradatta for practicing black magic and casts her out of his kingdom. She then turns into the demon Rangda and summons the evil spirits of the jungle to go after Erlangga and his people.

A great battled ensues but Rangda and her troops prove so strong that the young Prince requests the help of Barong. Erlangga and his brave soldiers, the Keris warriors, arrive to battle Rangda's demon army.

This drama is a classic example of the Balinese tradition of acting out mythology, weaving myth and history into an inseparable reality where good and evil coexist and no winner leaves the battlefield.

The number 108 is significant throughout Asian culture, including religion, arts, astronomy, martial arts and geometry.

The collection is named after the king of the spirits and limited to the significant number of 108.

The traditional Keris along with the Lontar, in the crocodile leather covered box, have been sacred items in Balinese culture for many centuries.

Keris is made from nickel, carbonized steel, iron and the all important metriod. The Keris ring (mendak) is worked out in silver with 7 ct. of rubies, black and blue saphires, and the fibrolite gemstone, the ebony hilt (danganan) represents the hindu god Brahma  and the sandalwood sheath (waranka) is covered with fine silver work (pendok).

This new Bali keris in the 15 rai (Arjuna sakti)  luk 7 belongs usually to the Ksatrya Caste, of which belonged the warriors and the emperors.

Lontar is a palm leaf manuscript made of the lontar palm which was used in ancient Asia and south east Asia. Its use goes back to fifteenth century BCE, and possibly much earlier. They were used to record actual and mythical narratives.

This new Bali lontar is written by Klungkung resident Brahman Ida Bagus. It tells the origin of Barong 108, the tradition of blacksmithing in Bali and gives you a description of the treasures which are housed in the crocodile box.