Sombro Or Jaka Sura?

[A. G. Maisey]

Two things here Jimmy.

The failed meeting of several years ago, and your inheritance.

I do understand your antecedents. I know where you came from, and it is undeniable that by birth and upbringing you are Javanese. However, it is equally undeniable that you are now a citizen of the world, that you live in an international environment and that you are a part of the Jakarta keris coterie.

There is no necessity for you to list the people whom you know. You are well placed in the world of the keris, and none of this is in question. Forgive me if I misinterpret your writings, but it seems to me that you are adopting an overly defensive attitude, when in fact there is nothing happening here that requires any sort of defence.

Now, about the business of you wishing to meet with me a few years back.

Jimmy, I'm 70 years old. When somebody wishes to meet with me they usually make an appointment and I make myself available to that person for an agreed period of time, for discussion or interview within agreed parameters. Forgive me if my attitude seems a trifle too formal, but that is the way I work:- I will give everything I have, within agreed parameters; I will give nothing where parameters and timing are not agreed.

Then there is the fact that you are by profession a journalist.

I have had very considerable experience with journalists, both in Australia and in Indonesia, and that experience stretches back over a 50 year period of time.

Quite simply, what one may say to any journalist cannot be guaranteed to kept as private conversation, and is never subject to one's own edit, correction and approval. The journalist takes what passes between himself and the person interviewed and manipulates that as if it were raw material to be used to create the highest level of interest, amusement, indignation, or whatever is demanded of him by the current situation or his editor.

This even happens in live TV interviews.

The end result can be extremely unfortunate for the person who has been interviewed.

Bear this in mind:- I am the only person from a western culture to ever have been trained by a Javanese karaton empu. Every time I open my mouth on the subject of keris in Jawa, it is not only I who is being weighed and judged, it is my teacher. Because of this I tend to say very little about keris when I am in Jawa. I may have been trained by Empu Suparman, but my own very considerable research has resulted in findings and theories that are very, very divergent from my teacher's position, and from the position of every other person I know who has committed seriously to the study of the keris --- with the possible exception of one very well known world authority.

Even though I have very deep family roots in Jawa, it is undeniable that I am an Australian, and the product of a culture based in European culture and society. It is inevitable that in any interview conducted across a divide of language, society and culture that the result of that interview will be less than an accurate reflection of all that transpired.

Add editorial requirement to less than accurate raw material, and we have something that I quite simply am not prepared to become involved in. I have no wish for, nor need of any sort of elevation of my public profile:- in short, there is nothing in a published interview that is to my benefit.

I returned from a couple of months in Solo only a week ago, and I would have been pleased to meet with you whilst I was there. However, the meeting would have been at an agreed time and place, and the conversation would have been on a personal level, not for publication. I would not have been prepared to discuss keris with you, but I would have been more than prepared to discuss almost anything else, provided it did not become raw material for publication.

[ganjawulung]

No more comments from me, Alan. I think all is too clear... We can meet here, at any time, any topic....

Thanks a lot,
GANJAWULUNG

[A. G. Maisey]

OK Jimmy.

I should be back some time in the first half of 2013. The visit I have just made was not planned and has cleaned me out. If you care to diarise me for follow up in January 2013 we can take it from there.

[Karttikeya]

Sorry for late reply, I would like to say thank to both Pak Ganjawulung and Pak Alan for your such explanations. Both of you are keris connoisseurs, Pak Ganjawulung, there's no doubt that you are experienced in keris, that's shown that you are the one of selected panels in Lomba Estetika Keris last time in Yogya (correct me if I am wrong). And Pak Alan, no one who does not know you as keris expert with deep and rational analysis and highly experienced absolutely.

Back to this keris, some people say this keris seems like Sombro characateristics however other people say this keris was made in Majapahit period. My question is it quite rare keris type? How its authenticity?

[ganjawulung]

Karttikeya, the proportion of the gandhik, the puthut side, IMHO is too short to be an iras (one piece) type of betok. It is possible the ganja was missed. For comparison, you may look at this betok in this picture below.... Pls compare the proportion of the gandhik side of this "puthut kembar" (twin puthut)...

[Karttikeya]

Pak Ganja, thank you for the sharing pic. Actually, I've seen that keris type 2 times and both no ganja, I do not know whether it has lost ganja or original shape (we might call it iras). For your information, there are some thumbprints on the blade and very thin. But I noticed both iron and pamor of yours are different from mine, probably your keris comes from different period. Anyway, thank you for your explanantion, Pak Ganja.

[Karttikeya]

Pak Alan, I am wondering whether this betok putut is genuine or not. I have attach another photograph..How to identity genuine and rework puthut? I think below photograph is quite clear to be identified..
Thank you..