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Originally Posted by Green
Excellent and very reasonable comment/explanation David!
But here's the thing. for me, I am forever grateful to those that show their blades, especially from serious and well respected collectors! because this is the only way I can learn. I personally have almost never comment on the 'quality' of a blade - any blade- primarily because I don't know enough and also as a mark of respect but sometimes do ask some points that I want to understand more regarding a particular blade.
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Well, i feel exactly the same way. I am always grateful to those who choose to show their blades in these public forums because i do not have the opportunity to see good keris otherwise.
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Originally Posted by Green
but regarding the 'culture' of Indonesians NOT to show their blades for some mystical reasons , I guess this is not strictly correct, because for the last several years I've visited quite a few keris exhibitions in Indonesia, in places where keris culture is very deep, such as in Medan, Sumatera, Bone Sulawesi, Various places in Bali, Solo, Jogjakarta , Nganjuk and Jakarta.
Virtually all of the keris in the 'pameran' (exhibition) are old and I guess some are pusakas (Unless the exhibition is specifically for kemardikan keris)
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Well Nik, i think we also have to consider what was and what is. Certainly a lot has changed in the keris world, not only over the centuries, but especially in the last almost 50 years since the beginning of the keris "resurgence". Many things are new in todays keris cultures that not too many years ago would never be considered. And so we have many new names for dhapurs and pamors and new ideas for what is proper and what may not be. I believe that there is, no doubt, a lot of young blood in the keris circles in Jawa that choose to take a different perspective of things than their forerunners. But there is also a more traditional and conservative base of keris aficionados that are more likely to follow the older ways. As is always the way with any living culture, things change, for better and for worse.