IF THE TERM ROYAL IS ADDED IT MUST BELONG TO A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. THE ROYAL FAMILYS UNDOUBTABLY HAD MORE KERIS THAN THE COMMON MAN. THEY WERE PRESENTED WITH KERIS AS WELL AS OTHER WEAPONS AND ITEMS AS GIFTS FROM OTHER RULERS,FAMILY MEMBERS, RICH FAMILYS AND FRIENDS AND PERHAPS FROM MPU WHO WANTED TO SHOW THEIR BEST WORK. THEY MAY HAVE ALSO AQUIRED THEM IN WAR AND TOOK THEM FROM A WORTHY ENEMY. THESE ALL QUALIFY AS ROYAL. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO PEOPLE WHO SERVED THEM WELL OR OTHER RULERS AND MAY HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY OWNED BY A ROYAL PERSON. OTHERS WERE PROBABLY MADE TO BE GIVEN AS GIFTS AND MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN SEEN OR HANDLED BY A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY SO WOULD PROBABLY NOT QUALIFY AS ROYAL.
KERIS MADE IN THE KRATON BY THE MPU WHO WORKED THERE WERE PROBABLY ALLOWED TO MAKE KERIS AND TOOLS FOR USE BY THOSE WHO WORKED FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY. THEY COULD BE CONSIDERED KRATON KERIS BUT NOT ROYAL AND THE FACT THAT THEY WERE MADE THERE SHOULD NOT INCREASE ITS WORTH. THE THING THAT SHOULD MAKE IT WORTH MORE WOULD BE THE WORKMANSHIP AND THE SKILL OF THE MPU AS HE SHOULD BE THE BEST AROUND TO BE CHOSEN TO MAKE THE ROYAL ARMS. UNDOUTABLY HE HAD APPRENTICES WHO WERE LEARNING MAKE MANY KERIS AND TOOLS AND SOME MAY HAVE BEEN POORLY MADE AND DEFECTIVE. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN SOLD OUTSIDE OF THE KRATON, SUPPLYED TO WORKERS OR REMELTED.
TO ME THE FACT OR STORY THAT IT WAS MADE IN THE KRATON ADDS NOTHING TO ITS VALUE, IT IS THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT COUNTS. IF THE WORKMANSHIP, QUALITY AND TECKNIQUE CAN BE PROVEN TO BE THAT OF A FAMOUS MPU WHO WORKED IN THE KRAYTON. THEN THE VALUE INCREASES BUT A STORY OR A UNPROVEN WORD DOSEN'T AMOUNT TO ANY ADDED VALUE ABOVE WHAT ITS QUALITY DESERVES.
THE PUSAKA CAN ONLY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE ONES WHO MAKE IT SO, TO ALL OTHERS IT IS JUST A KERIS. ANY POWER THE PUSAKA HAS COMES FROM ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE PERSONS OR FAMILY WHO HAVE VALUED AND CARED FOR IT. THAT IS WHY IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER TO GIVE A PUSAKA TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO VALUES AND BELIEVES IN IT, AS ITS ORIGINAL OWNER HAS, THAN TO SELL IT FOR MERE MONEY. WHEN SOLD TO ONE WHO DOSEN'T CARE ABOUT OR BELIEVE IT IS MORE THAN A VALUABLE PIECE OF METAL AND WOOD IT IS NO LONGER A PUSAKA IT IS JUST A KERIS THAT USED TO BE PUSAKA. PERHAPS IT WILL SEEK AND AGAIN FIND A OWNER WHO VALUES IT PROPERLY IN THE FUTURE AND ONCE AGAIN BECOME A PUSAKA.
I LIKE KERIS BUT AM CERTIANLY NOT A EXPERT, CONNISOUR OR SCHOLAR OF THEM SO ONLY CAN SUPPLY OPINION, NOT FACT OR DEFFINITE KNOWLEGE. A INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE DESCUSSION LET IT CONTINUE IN A SERENE MANNER
