Weighing in...collecting from other cultures...

imas560 · 12th October 2010, 02:06 AM

Interesting subject,
how much should a person know before embarking on collecting from another culture? I think I stepped on some toes last year when I was in Kuala Kangsar wanting a keris repaired and wanting to get some items made. I may have inadvertently caused offence by my lack of knowledge of what was allowable on a keris. I had posted on a couple of forums (unfortunately not this one) and thought I had gathered enough information to think I was ok in requesting a dragon head on a custom made keris. But when I described what I wanted I got a very distinct vibe of causing offence. In the end I requested a keris without the dragon head and some other items including a Pedang that was to have a dragon head hilt. It's been over a year and still no word on the items being made or the keris being repaired. I have a niggling feeling that I'm not going to see the items or the deposit and that the keris may be "lost".
In regards to an item being classified as old and not being allowed out of the country I believe in New Zealand (where I live) any indigenous artifacts over 50 years old are not allowed to be sold for export. I may be wrong but I will try and hunt out the info.
BTW the keris for repair was bought at auction in NZ and I transported it back to Malaysia to be repaired. I thought I would treat it reverently and get it repaired in it's homeland.

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12th October 2010, 02:06 AM	#3
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Interesting subject, how much should a person know before embarking on collecting from another culture? I think I stepped on some toes last year when I was in Kuala Kangsar wanting a keris repaired and wanting to get some items made. I may have inadvertently caused offence by my lack of knowledge of what was allowable on a keris. I had posted on a couple of forums (unfortunately not this one) and thought I had gathered enough information to think I was ok in requesting a dragon head on a custom made keris. But when I described what I wanted I got a very distinct vibe of causing offence. In the end I requested a keris without the dragon head and some other items including a Pedang that was to have a dragon head hilt. It's been over a year and still no word on the items being made or the keris being repaired. I have a niggling feeling that I'm not going to see the items or the deposit and that the keris may be "lost". In regards to an item being classified as old and not being allowed out of the country I believe in New Zealand (where I live) any indigenous artifacts over 50 years old are not allowed to be sold for export. I may be wrong but I will try and hunt out the info. BTW the keris for repair was bought at auction in NZ and I transported it back to Malaysia to be repaired. I thought I would treat it reverently and get it repaired in it's homeland.