Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Kemardikan Madurese keris with 4 kembang kacang

A. G. Maisey · 2nd December 2017, 07:22 AM

These extreme Kemardikan blades are not really the sort of thing that I find attractive, but there is no denying that in Alexish's example,the metal carving is very skilled, as is the wood carving.

Present day Javanese society and culture accepts this type of blade as legitimate art, so I guess we just need to try to adopt the same sort of mind set that we might use when we view any modern art. My overall artistic tastes seem to have not progressed much beyond the mid-19th century, and for me, its the same with keris art:- I like traditional, I do not like modern. But that does not mean that I am unable to appreciate the thought and the work that has gone into a piece of modern art.

In about 1982 I attended a showing of keris that had been made by the new keris makers from the ASKI (Akademi Seni Karawitan Indonesia) in Solo, Jawa Tengah. I was with Panembahan Harjonegoro ( he was not a Panembahan yet), Bp. Pauzan Pusposukado (Alm.) and Bp. Yohannes Yantono ( who was one of the ASKI people).In about 1982 the Javanese keris revival was still very young, the idea of Kamardikan keris being legitimate keris art did not yet exist. In fact, the classification of "Kemardikan Keris" did not yet exist.

The ASKI boys had placed on exhibition a number of keris that deviated from the accepted dhapurs. I recall Panembahan Harjonegoro's comment very clearly:-

"Well, yes, certainly this is art. But are they keris?"

That pretty much sums up my attitude too.

But to be objective, it all depends upon how we consider the keris:- if we use the traditional standards and link those standards to the artistic and cultural iconography, then of course these extreme Kamardikan keris are not in any way able to be accepted as true keris.

However, if we simplify things and accept the Extreme Kemardikan keris as art that is based upon the form of the keris, it becomes no different to appraising any art form. We use the overall standards for art appraisal, rather than the overall standards for keris appraisal.

Using those art appraisal standards, I feel that Alexish's keris must be accepted as a very competent example of the Javanese plastic arts.

2nd December 2017, 07:22 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,697	These extreme Kemardikan blades are not really the sort of thing that I find attractive, but there is no denying that in Alexish's example,the metal carving is very skilled, as is the wood carving. Present day Javanese society and culture accepts this type of blade as legitimate art, so I guess we just need to try to adopt the same sort of mind set that we might use when we view any modern art. My overall artistic tastes seem to have not progressed much beyond the mid-19th century, and for me, its the same with keris art:- I like traditional, I do not like modern. But that does not mean that I am unable to appreciate the thought and the work that has gone into a piece of modern art. In about 1982 I attended a showing of keris that had been made by the new keris makers from the ASKI (Akademi Seni Karawitan Indonesia) in Solo, Jawa Tengah. I was with Panembahan Harjonegoro ( he was not a Panembahan yet), Bp. Pauzan Pusposukado (Alm.) and Bp. Yohannes Yantono ( who was one of the ASKI people).In about 1982 the Javanese keris revival was still very young, the idea of Kamardikan keris being legitimate keris art did not yet exist. In fact, the classification of "Kemardikan Keris" did not yet exist. The ASKI boys had placed on exhibition a number of keris that deviated from the accepted dhapurs. I recall Panembahan Harjonegoro's comment very clearly:- "Well, yes, certainly this is art. But are they keris?" That pretty much sums up my attitude too. But to be objective, it all depends upon how we consider the keris:- if we use the traditional standards and link those standards to the artistic and cultural iconography, then of course these extreme Kamardikan keris are not in any way able to be accepted as true keris. However, if we simplify things and accept the Extreme Kemardikan keris as art that is based upon the form of the keris, it becomes no different to appraising any art form. We use the overall standards for art appraisal, rather than the overall standards for keris appraisal. Using those art appraisal standards, I feel that Alexish's keris must be accepted as a very competent example of the Javanese plastic arts.