Quote:
Originally Posted by JustYS
Thank you David and also thank you to the Forum.
When I first started collecting Keris 5-6 years ago, I was obsessed with Tangguh and Tangguh Kamardhikan was at the bottom of my list.
Not surprisingly also in the Keris market 9 out of 10 Keris are being offered as Old.
This forum with its vast pool of knowledge really open my eyes. Nowadays I’m very happy collecting modern and contemporary Keris.
Once in a while I still search for old keris but only from very trusted dealer.
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By my thinking what is most important is that i am drawn to the keris than how old it is. I will say though that the vast majority of my collection tends to have antique status. This is possibly because i have always been drawn to old things and fascinated by history and culture. I general like when a keris has "lived" in-culture and served a traditional function within that society. But i also view the keris as a living art form and feel it is very important for us as collectors to support this art in the present day or it will simply be lost to antiquity. So in a way i feel obliged to collect some newly made keris to encourage the continuance of the art. My tastes to that end tend to be more traditional though rather that some of the more fanciful dhapur that i see coming from some of the new smiths. And, of course, i seek a high level of craft from these new blades, where as i may be draw to an antique blade of a lower level of execution if it has a certain character or charm that appeals to me.