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Originally Posted by GIO
What is the difference between a skilled smith living in Indonesia and one living in England ? After all only the geographical position.
What I have expressed is only my personal opinion. I would welcome with interest any comment on my thought.
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Like yourself GIO this is my personal viewpoint, but to answer that question it returns once again for me to my first stipulation for "what is a keris" and that word "culture" For me a legitimate keris is a cultural icon and must be made WITHIN it's culture FOR that culture. Even if your English made "Bali" keris had been "perfect" by all standards of acceptable garap and had been dressed in a perfect copy of accepted Bali dress it would still be a reproduction in my eyes. Now it is possible that it is so well done that i would not be able to tell it wasn't made for and by the culture, but that wouldn't change the fact that it is still a reproduction of the real thing. Even experts are sometimes fooled by well produced reproductions. Being fooled doesn't change what that object truly is. A keris is not simply another dagger, it is the embodiment of a culture. Without that culture, i do not believe you have a true keris.
