Bugis Palembang - 7 Luks

[A. G. Maisey]

I would most humbly suggest that one is best advised to do one's own restoration.

I did my own work for more than 20 years before I ever had access to craftsmen in Jawa. Yes, it requires patience, and it requires the willingness to learn the techniques, but restoration that is done by any craftsman that I have encountered in Jawa or Bali can be done by a willing and interested person in New York, Amsterdam, or Sydney.

The essential element is interest.

Incidentally, for things that require more than the average fiddling around, I still do my own work, for the simple reason that I do not trust the people I know to do exactly as I request with items that I want treated in a way other than the norm.

[BigG]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I would most humbly suggest that one is best advised to do one's own restoration.

I did a bit of this once... a wee little bit... & I know someone who does it too amongst the grp of serious enthusiast that I know... but for the most of us here... it takes far too much investment of time and in our shal we say cosy public housing homes... there is also a critical question of space.

The idea amongst us here is that since we have an access to traditional craftsman either directly or otherwise in the peninsula who can do this better then us... & since supporting them would mean that we would be supporting the upkeep of the traditional crafts industry there, including critically for us the Keris making and other supportive industry in the peninsula whch is not as developd as it is in Indonesia, then y not.

Adding to that... amongst some collectors, the notion of observing certain customary taboos which some of this craftsman still do is also important... so the focus is some what different. Theres nothing like doing it yourself... I agree Mr Maisey... but then when the inclination & opportunity is just isnt ther then craftsmen is the alernative asnwer...