Appreciation

RSWORD · 14th July 2010, 05:43 PM

A great and complicated question. I think my pleasure in collecting involves a number of aspects.

The first is the thrill of the hunt. I think there is a little bit of treasure hunter in all of us. Rummaging through an old garage sale and stumbling onto a nice antique weapon, albeit a rarer occurance these days, is quite enjoyable.

The second is having a tangible link to the past. I think we collectors have vivid imaginations and I like to imagine the journey a 300 year old sword has had from point of origin to my hands today. I have learned more about world history through the study of swords than I ever did in the classroom. But letting my imagination run rampant is most enjoyable.

The third is an appreciation of the skill and artistry exhibited in these pieces. These aesthetics bring joy to the artistic side of my brain. When you look closely there are always so many minute points of detail to enjoy. From time to time, I find something new to enjoy in a piece I have had for years and this is enjoyable. The old saying, "They don't make them like they used to" is so true.

I have noticed that the more I learn about my sword collection the more I appreciate what I have. It seems the more I appreciate what I have, the more I want to learn. It is a never ending loop.

David · 14th July 2010, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSWORD

A great and complicated question. I think my pleasure in collecting involves a number of aspects.
The first is the thrill of the hunt. I think there is a little bit of treasure hunter in all of us. Rummaging through an old garage sale and stumbling onto a nice antique weapon, albeit a rarer occurance these days, is quite enjoyable.
The second is having a tangible link to the past. I think we collectors have vivid imaginations and I like to imagine the journey a 300 year old sword has had from point of origin to my hands today. I have learned more about world history through the study of swords than I ever did in the classroom. But letting my imagination run rampant is most enjoyable.
The third is an appreciation of the skill and artistry exhibited in these pieces. These aesthetics bring joy to the artistic side of my brain. When you look closely there are always so many minute points of detail to enjoy. From time to time, I find something new to enjoy in a piece I have had for years and this is enjoyable. The old saying, "They don't make them like they used to" is so true.

Rick echos some of my thoughts on the question with a few adjustments.
The first is the thrill of the hunt.
Must admit there is nothing like finding a great buy in an unusual place. Hardly the first concern for me as i tend to buy most of my keris from established dealers. But every now and then finding an undiscovered treasure can be exhilarating.

The second is having a tangible link to the past.
I think this is an important one for me. The vast majority of my collection are antique keris. It isn't important to me if it once belonged to a peasant or a sultan, but i am most interested in keris that actual found a life within the context of a past Indonesian culture. So the exact story is relatively unimportant to me. I am more interested that there is an undiscovered and perhaps undiscoverable story there. Actually the only keris i ever bought for the "story" was a contemporary Maduran naga keris of little quality, but it was once owned by the captain of the Picton Castle, a three-masted barque that yearly sails clear around the world with stops in Bali. I was fascinated by how well travelled this piece was since it had circumnavigated the global many, many times making it perhaps the most well-travelled keris in the world.

I know the story is true because i bought it from the captain himself, who proudly showed me his replacement keris a rather gaudy naga with nasty brass "kinatah" all over it. I much preferred his older, less adorned companion. It was a story and concept well worth the $50 i paid for it.

The third is an appreciation of the skill and artistry exhibited in these pieces.
This is most definitely a major consideration for me. I simply marvel at the sheer beauty of the keris, from blade to even the simplest of dress. This is what also keeps me open to acquiring contemporary pieces from time to time as i can maintain in my collection levels of artistic achievement that i might not otherwise be able to afford in an antique keris. I must disagree Rick, because i think that in many way they do still "make them like they used to" and in some ways they make them even better (artistically). The levels of artistic accomplishment in keris making today are superb.
I would also add that for me the interest of keris goes beyond history and into mystery. I am fascinated by the mythology behind it and the culture from which it is born, living on the edge between the seen and unseen worlds. There is a lure of magick and mysticism here, which while horribly over played to the gullible for commercial allure is non-the-less a reality that is special to a time and a place that is presently at risk of vanishing completely from the face of the earth.

A. G. Maisey · 14th July 2010, 11:33 PM

Thank you gentlemen for your responses, and I do hope more responses from others will follow.

Reading these responses what I am seeing is a recital of the reasons why we collect, as we ourselves see those reasons.

Speaking for myself, I am uncertain that I can clearly identify why I continue to collect keris. The keris has been a part of my life for so long that taking a keris into my care has become almost an automatic response. In recent years, say, the last ten years or so, when I buy a keris that I identify as one that is to be kept, it is almost as if on the first moment that I see it, there is a cord that runs from the keris to me. I usually do not examine it critically, and condition is of absolutely no importance, that keris goes home with me. Other times I will buy a keris for myself just because I recognise its quality, or rarity, but often a purchase of this type lacks that "connective" element.

So, that's how I buy, but why do I buy?

I don't really know, except that it is what I do.

However, if I go back a long way in time, I can very clearly recall that being in contact with keris was something that took me into another world. Maybe the reason why this doesn't happen now is because to a large extent I have been living in that other world --- albeit a modern version of it --- for many years now.

We can all probably rationalise our collecting in one way or another, however, I would like to put forth the idea that at its roots, our collecting is an emotional activity that is the product of memories and experiences stored in the sub-conscious, and the activities that we undertake when we collect, give us with access to those stored memories and experiences, providing pleasure and assisting in the maintenance of mental balance in our increasingly difficult world.

As Rick said:-

An investment in sanity if you will .

Jean · 15th July 2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

So, that's how I buy, but why do I buy?

I don't really know, except that it is what I do.

Dear all,
I basically agree with what has been said but just want to add this:

Collecting is a state of mind and an addiction (ask your family and friends) but unlike drinking, gambling, or taking drugs it is a positive one in my opinion.
Best regards
Jean

Rick · 15th July 2010, 11:13 PM

Jean, addiction is a bit strong; no ?

An Addict would bankrupt himself collecting ...

For me; I collect when I can; but I know someday it will also be time for me to stop .
I will be content with what I have .

A collection can be a great burden on one's heirs .
Museums just let 'em rust .

Laowang · 16th July 2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Jean, addiction is a bit strong; no ?

An Addict would bankrupt himself collecting ...

For me; I collect when I can; but I know someday it will also be time for me to stop .
I will be content with what I have .

A collection can be a great burden on one's heirs .
Museums just let 'em rust .

Apropos of your posting, Rick:

When there is possession, there must be loss of possession; when there is a gathering together, there must be a scattering - this is the constant principle in things. Someone loses a bow; another person finds a bow; what's so special in that? The reason why I have recorded this story from beginning to end in such detail is to let it serve as a warning for scholars and collectors in later generations.

from Records on Metal and Stone, Li Qing-zhao, written during the second year of the Shao-xing Reign (1132), Song Dynasty, China

The collecting of things appears to fulfill some deep-seated need on our part as humans; my only disagreement with Alan's hypothesis would be that it is not just a modern phenomenon, as we can date collecting in China to as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). Perhaps the need for refuge from everyday life was as great back then as it is now.

A. G. Maisey · 16th July 2010, 01:01 AM

Laowang, your quotation is accurate and appropriate, and cannot be faulted.

However, I will offer one correction:-

I have not put forward a hypothesis.

What I am looking for is the opinions of others in respect of the foundations of our appreciation of those things which we may choose to collect.

15th July 2010, 11:13 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Jean, addiction is a bit strong; no ? An Addict would bankrupt himself collecting ... For me; I collect when I can; but I know someday it will also be time for me to stop . I will be content with what I have . A collection can be a great burden on one's heirs . Museums just let 'em rust . Last edited by Rick; 15th July 2010 at 11:26 PM.

14th July 2010, 05:43 PM	#1
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,087	A great and complicated question. I think my pleasure in collecting involves a number of aspects. The first is the thrill of the hunt. I think there is a little bit of treasure hunter in all of us. Rummaging through an old garage sale and stumbling onto a nice antique weapon, albeit a rarer occurance these days, is quite enjoyable. The second is having a tangible link to the past. I think we collectors have vivid imaginations and I like to imagine the journey a 300 year old sword has had from point of origin to my hands today. I have learned more about world history through the study of swords than I ever did in the classroom. But letting my imagination run rampant is most enjoyable. The third is an appreciation of the skill and artistry exhibited in these pieces. These aesthetics bring joy to the artistic side of my brain. When you look closely there are always so many minute points of detail to enjoy. From time to time, I find something new to enjoy in a piece I have had for years and this is enjoyable. The old saying, "They don't make them like they used to" is so true. I have noticed that the more I learn about my sword collection the more I appreciate what I have. It seems the more I appreciate what I have, the more I want to learn. It is a never ending loop.

14th July 2010, 11:33 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Thank you gentlemen for your responses, and I do hope more responses from others will follow. Reading these responses what I am seeing is a recital of the reasons why we collect, as we ourselves see those reasons. Speaking for myself, I am uncertain that I can clearly identify why I continue to collect keris. The keris has been a part of my life for so long that taking a keris into my care has become almost an automatic response. In recent years, say, the last ten years or so, when I buy a keris that I identify as one that is to be kept, it is almost as if on the first moment that I see it, there is a cord that runs from the keris to me. I usually do not examine it critically, and condition is of absolutely no importance, that keris goes home with me. Other times I will buy a keris for myself just because I recognise its quality, or rarity, but often a purchase of this type lacks that "connective" element. So, that's how I buy, but why do I buy? I don't really know, except that it is what I do. However, if I go back a long way in time, I can very clearly recall that being in contact with keris was something that took me into another world. Maybe the reason why this doesn't happen now is because to a large extent I have been living in that other world --- albeit a modern version of it --- for many years now. We can all probably rationalise our collecting in one way or another, however, I would like to put forth the idea that at its roots, our collecting is an emotional activity that is the product of memories and experiences stored in the sub-conscious, and the activities that we undertake when we collect, give us with access to those stored memories and experiences, providing pleasure and assisting in the maintenance of mental balance in our increasingly difficult world. As Rick said:- An investment in sanity if you will .

16th July 2010, 01:01 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Laowang, your quotation is accurate and appropriate, and cannot be faulted. However, I will offer one correction:- I have not put forward a hypothesis. What I am looking for is the opinions of others in respect of the foundations of our appreciation of those things which we may choose to collect.