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Originally Posted by David
Ben, i don't think that we can necessarily assume that the owner of a keris or kris in their own cultural setting is well off simply because they own a weapon that has ivory of gold on it. As you know, these weapons are often passed down through generations. Just because someone's great, great grandpa was a member of court does not necessarily translate to present day wealth. That, unfortunately, is part of the reason why we see some of these very high end kris on the market now. They are being sold off by families that are in need of money more than their heritage.  |
Yes this happens but not the way you discribe if we speak about javanese
ones .
The most nice ones that are in europe are taken away by the soldiers long time ago .
Or they take a loan on the kris that they never could pay back and then it did get sold by the loanbank .
There was also in the Netherlands in 1981 an big action these krissen where bring in by An Javanese prins to sell overhere and where sold for big pices
but it was not that they where without money .
Auction april 27th - may 4th 1981 Paul Brandt in Amsterdam
name off cataloque the fascinating world of oriental art .
But the story did go that some these where not old or disputable so they where brought back to the auction house Paul Brandt .
Most off the common people did not have the money to get an kris and are not allowed to carry an high rank weapon this can be read in the historian books about Indonesia
The are even Batiks motifs that only can be carried by high rank persons .
So you are wrong if you say
that these weapons are often passed down through generations. Just because someone's great, great grandpa was a member of court does not necessarily translate to present day wealth and than sell it because they poor .
that this is the reason that they come on the market now .
Some old time kris collectors overhere passed away and the collction did get split up I have see that happend the last few years .
I have an friend that have some famous krissen in his collection that goes back to famous people of high rank and weddings gifts long time ago proven and a few out off this catalogue but the real old ones .
Ben