Something about this comparison is reminding me of discussions in art and music regarding what the essence of the art really is, and what makes something pleasing or beautiful. Granted the keris isn't visual art as its commonly understood in the West but I think it's still apt.
In music something can be overplayed. A very good musician might come in hard and fast with something very technically complex to show her skill but the lack of restraint is perceived as tasteless or not complementary to the song as a whole.
This is similar to how we are seeing a lot of extremely talented artists who are able to paint scenes or objects that are photorealistic. The skill and execution is undeniable and awesome - but is it art? Is it beautiful? Imagine a respectable institution running a gallery of photorealistic paintings, where from a distance you thought you were just looking at high-res iPhone photography. To me that doesn't inspire much beauty or feeling.
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