Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 27th November 2010, 04:23 AM

Yes, Kai Wee, when we are considering a plain black blade that could have been produced by stock removal from a bar of mild steel, I do agree that it might be difficult to decide just exactly where the line is drawn between a "proper" keris and something that looks like a keris.

However, with this type of keris, that same problem was always there.

If you have a blade that has been made from a single piece of material, without a welded-in core there is essentially no difference between such a blade made now, and one made 100 years or more in the past.

None of us question the integrity of an old blade of this type, we appraise it by reference to its artistic beauty and the excellence of its material.

Why should we act any differently when we consider a modern blade of the same type?

Should not exactly the same standards apply?

With such a blade, the time difference between roughing out with an angle grinder, and forging to shape is minimal. In fact, if I were to be asked to make such a blade myself, I would choose to forge to shape, because it would save me time in the long run.

I haven't seen any of these modern Malaysian KLO's, but perhaps we are really talking about keris of low, and even extremely low, quality.

Maybe 5 or 10 years down the track , when these current makers have learnt their trade, there will be a pretty severe problem with forgeries. It would be very, very difficult to gauge the age of a blade that had been well made, but with no core, and that had been skillfully aged.

And as long as some amongst us focus their attention upon the concept of "old", rather than the concept of "excellent" you can bet on it that a lot of these recently produced blades will gain around 100 years of age with the first few weeks after they have been completed.

I rather feel that this matter comes back to knowing and understanding the keris.

If we focus upon art and excellence, there should be no difference at all between old and new.

However, if our focus is upon the history of a culture, or the esoteric content of the keris as a cultural icon, then that focus is necessarily concentrated upon the old, rather than the new.

But such a focus relegates the keris itself to a position which is subordinate to the passing of time.

It all comes back to where our true values lay.

27th November 2010, 04:23 AM	#28
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,704	Yes, Kai Wee, when we are considering a plain black blade that could have been produced by stock removal from a bar of mild steel, I do agree that it might be difficult to decide just exactly where the line is drawn between a "proper" keris and something that looks like a keris. However, with this type of keris, that same problem was always there. If you have a blade that has been made from a single piece of material, without a welded-in core there is essentially no difference between such a blade made now, and one made 100 years or more in the past. None of us question the integrity of an old blade of this type, we appraise it by reference to its artistic beauty and the excellence of its material. Why should we act any differently when we consider a modern blade of the same type? Should not exactly the same standards apply? With such a blade, the time difference between roughing out with an angle grinder, and forging to shape is minimal. In fact, if I were to be asked to make such a blade myself, I would choose to forge to shape, because it would save me time in the long run. I haven't seen any of these modern Malaysian KLO's, but perhaps we are really talking about keris of low, and even extremely low, quality. Maybe 5 or 10 years down the track , when these current makers have learnt their trade, there will be a pretty severe problem with forgeries. It would be very, very difficult to gauge the age of a blade that had been well made, but with no core, and that had been skillfully aged. And as long as some amongst us focus their attention upon the concept of "old", rather than the concept of "excellent" you can bet on it that a lot of these recently produced blades will gain around 100 years of age with the first few weeks after they have been completed. I rather feel that this matter comes back to knowing and understanding the keris. If we focus upon art and excellence, there should be no difference at all between old and new. However, if our focus is upon the history of a culture, or the esoteric content of the keris as a cultural icon, then that focus is necessarily concentrated upon the old, rather than the new. But such a focus relegates the keris itself to a position which is subordinate to the passing of time. It all comes back to where our true values lay.