The Sheath

Like the hilt, the sheath of a keris varies from region to region but there is a common design among the varying styles. The sheath comprises a large cross-piece and a stem, which makes it look like a capital T. The cross-piece is called a Wrangka in Javanese and Sampir in Malay. It is designed to take the flaring base of the keris but on the practical side, it does away with a special brace for carrying the keris as you just have to insert the keris into one's sash or belt and the cross-piece provides a stable anchor.

Most of the regional differences are seen in the design of the Wrangka. In the Balinese and Javanese keris, the Wrangka comes in basically two forms, the Ladrang and the Gayaman.

In the Ladrang, the upper ends of the Wrangka curl up while the lower ends curve inward towards the stem making it look like a boat with a swirling bow and stern.

Ladrang

The Gayaman is flat and somewhat oblong, like an elongated hamburger. In the Javanese Gayaman, one can still make out the outline of a boat, particularly the Gayaman design of Jogyakarta.

Gayaman




The boat is most clearly seen in the Palembang Wrangka. It does not take a lot of imagination to see the bow, stern and the keel in the Wrangka.

Palembang Wrangka

The Malayan Wrangka, or Sampir, is squarish or rectangular in shape. It has very slightly upturn edges and an inward curve on the lower edge on one side. This corresponds to the bow of a boat.

Malayan Wrangka

There is a belief that the Wrangka or Sampir is a representation of the moonboat of Malay/Javanese legends but it could be a lagacy of the fact that the Malay race, from its earliest times, is a sea-faring nation.

The sheath are in the main made of wood. Special woods with attractive grains are chosen. The kind of wood used and its grain is believed to have magical properties which contain or restraint the power of the keris. Hence old keris sheaths invariably have wood in them. Old sheaths of silver and gold are actually wooden sheaths, covered in sheet metal. Sheaths made entirely of metal, bone, or ivory are new developments, most likely to please foreign tourists.




In Java and Bali is Timoho or Pelet (Kleinhoven Hospita Linn).

Timoho Wood
Pelet Wood

Teak Gembol or Jati, and Sono wood are also popular.

Jati
Sono Wood











In Malaya and Sumatra, the premier wood is Kemuning (Murraya Paniculata Jack).

Kemuning Wood

In Bali, people think that the Pelet wood is so important that, even if there is a gold sleeve made for the stem, there would be a window, or two, to show the wood. Most times the metal sleeve would be restricted to the rear of the sheath so that the entire front portion is exposed. Only in rare exceptions or relativly new pieces is the Bali sheath completely covered whith a sheet of metal.
Sheaths sometimes come in metal sleeves of brass, white metal, silver or gold. This is particularly so for Javanese pieces. In Java, the metal sleeve is called Pendok. It comes in two main forms: the Bunton, which is a full metal sleeve, or the Blewah which has a section for almost the total length of the sleeve, about 8mm wide, cut out in the front. This is to allow the wood of the sheath to be displayed.

Bunton Blewah

In Malaya, the sleeve is called the Slorok. While the full Slorok is common, it is almost impossible to find one with a cut like the Javanese Blewah.

Slorok

So to show off the wood beneath the Slorok, the Malays fit the Slorok in sections, either two or three, so that the wood will be exposed between the sections.