20th Century Solonese Keris

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

... I think it is up to the buyer to be able to determine if they are buying real and quality items and putting a patent on a keris dhapur in no way insured that it won't be copied anyway. Just look at all the fake Guccis in the fashion world.
Keris makers today are certainly creating new keris with old dhapurs, dhapurs that were never "patented".

You are right David,

Keris makers (not only today) they are making new keris with old dhapurs. But every keris maker has their own style. Empu Jaka Supo's style of making sengkelat dhapur, for instance, is different with Pangeran Sendang Sedayu although they were from the same era (Majapahit). Or Ki Guling's style with Ki Nom in the Mataram era. Can people patent the style of making the same dhapur?

And in many aspects, keris making is a collective art. Almost no single keris maker can claim that he is the owner of the copyright. In the process of keris making, there is pande and panjak (helpers), the empu. And the sheath? The hilts? The mendak (rings) and pendok? All are specialized.

Maybe this is not a correct analogy: even autocar today cannot claim by a single company. Almost all the parts come from specialized company. I think
it's too complicated to think about patent on keris..