Collecting:- opinions sought

GIO · 26th April 2013, 04:47 PM

Q 1 : yes
Q 2 : yes, but only to a certain extent. I collect Western, Indonesian and Japanese (very few) weapons, and have an idea of the general cultural and historical background of the Countries concerned, but I find that a full knowledge of what stays behind is very difficult, complicated and far from our culture and tradition. I am referring mainly to Indonesia, as you can immagine. In my opinion the understanding of Javanese thinking would take an entire life, and "even more" if one could not have the possibilty of living in Indonesia, in contact with all categories of people, and for rather long periods of time. The alternative is to read books, but this is by far insufficient.
To conclude, a collector should do his best to understand other cultures as much as he can, but the main appeal for the items he collects will always consist in their artistic and technical aspect

A. G. Maisey · 26th April 2013, 10:55 PM

Thank you for your responses, gentlemen, and I do hope that some of our other members will also let me have their opinions.

VANDOO · 27th April 2013, 05:11 AM

QUESTION ONE YES
2. COLLECTORS ARE SOMETIMES ATTRACTED BY THE EXOTIC LOOKS OF AN ITEM, BUT OFTEN IT TAKES A BIT OF A STORY OR TRUE INFORMATION TO HOOK HIM.

THE LEGENDS OF MAGIC, MYSTERY, METEOR IRON BLADES AND STRANGE POWERS MAKE ONE WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KERIS. THIS LEADS TO A STUDY OF THE TECKNICAL PART HOW THEY ARE MADE AND WHY THIS OR THAT IS MADE IN SUCH A MANNER AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OR MEANING OF ITS PARTS. IT ALSO LEADS TO A STUDY OF THE CULTURE WITH ITS LEGENDS, AND HOW THEY VIEW AND VALUE THE KERIS AND WHY THEY HAVE THESE BELIEFS.
3. SOME COLLECTORS WILL STUDY ONLY THE KERIS AND ITS CULTURE AND EVEN WHEN SPENDING A LIFETIME STUDYING NO DOUBT THEY WILL STILL HAVE THINGS TO LEARN.
MOST COLLECTORS WILL LEARN A LITTLE BIT BY BIT OVER THE YEARS BUT WILL STILL BE NOVICES AS THE WHOLE STORY OF THE KERIS AND ITS MANY VARIATIONS IS COMPLICATED. I PERSONALLY COLLECT KERIS WHEN I SEE SOMETHING I DON'T HAVE OR THAT APPEALS TO ME, SO I DON'T COLLECT LIKE A SCHOLAR OR AN INVESTOR.

4. THE INVESTOR WILL ONLY BE INTERESTED IN CASH VALUE AND POTENTIAL PROFIT NOT A STUDY OF THE KERIS OR THE CULTURE AS HE IS BASICALLY A COLLECTOR OF MONEY. SO TO HIM THE BLING= GOLD, JEWELS,IVORY, ROYAL PROVANANCE, AGE OR THE NAME OF A FAMOUS MASTER MAKER ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS. TO EACH HIS OWN.

ONE CANNOT TRULY LEARN ANY CULTURE BY READING ABOUT IT ONE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE A LIFETIME WITHIN THE CULTURE AND SHARE ITS BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS TO BELONG AND TRULY KNOW. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH THE CULTURES OF THE PAST THAT ARE LOST AND HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. THE CURRENT BELIEFS SELDOM WILL BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL CULTURES. OFTEN WE READ OBSERVATIONS WRITTEN BY A VISITING RESEARCHER OR ADVENTURER ABOUT THE CULTURE IN THE PAST. THESE ARE USUALLY THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTSIDER NOT THE WAY THE LOCALS PERCEIVE IT AT ALL. EVEN A KEEN OBSERVER IS USING HIS LOGIC AND POINT OF VIEW NOT THAT OF THE FORIGN CULTURE HE IS STUDYING SO MISTAKES ARE MADE. YEP!! ITS COMPLICATED BUT VERY INTERESTING

27th April 2013, 05:11 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	QUESTION ONE YES 2. COLLECTORS ARE SOMETIMES ATTRACTED BY THE EXOTIC LOOKS OF AN ITEM, BUT OFTEN IT TAKES A BIT OF A STORY OR TRUE INFORMATION TO HOOK HIM. THE LEGENDS OF MAGIC, MYSTERY, METEOR IRON BLADES AND STRANGE POWERS MAKE ONE WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KERIS. THIS LEADS TO A STUDY OF THE TECKNICAL PART HOW THEY ARE MADE AND WHY THIS OR THAT IS MADE IN SUCH A MANNER AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OR MEANING OF ITS PARTS. IT ALSO LEADS TO A STUDY OF THE CULTURE WITH ITS LEGENDS, AND HOW THEY VIEW AND VALUE THE KERIS AND WHY THEY HAVE THESE BELIEFS. 3. SOME COLLECTORS WILL STUDY ONLY THE KERIS AND ITS CULTURE AND EVEN WHEN SPENDING A LIFETIME STUDYING NO DOUBT THEY WILL STILL HAVE THINGS TO LEARN. MOST COLLECTORS WILL LEARN A LITTLE BIT BY BIT OVER THE YEARS BUT WILL STILL BE NOVICES AS THE WHOLE STORY OF THE KERIS AND ITS MANY VARIATIONS IS COMPLICATED. I PERSONALLY COLLECT KERIS WHEN I SEE SOMETHING I DON'T HAVE OR THAT APPEALS TO ME, SO I DON'T COLLECT LIKE A SCHOLAR OR AN INVESTOR. 4. THE INVESTOR WILL ONLY BE INTERESTED IN CASH VALUE AND POTENTIAL PROFIT NOT A STUDY OF THE KERIS OR THE CULTURE AS HE IS BASICALLY A COLLECTOR OF MONEY. SO TO HIM THE BLING= GOLD, JEWELS,IVORY, ROYAL PROVANANCE, AGE OR THE NAME OF A FAMOUS MASTER MAKER ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS. TO EACH HIS OWN. ONE CANNOT TRULY LEARN ANY CULTURE BY READING ABOUT IT ONE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE A LIFETIME WITHIN THE CULTURE AND SHARE ITS BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS TO BELONG AND TRULY KNOW. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH THE CULTURES OF THE PAST THAT ARE LOST AND HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. THE CURRENT BELIEFS SELDOM WILL BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL CULTURES. OFTEN WE READ OBSERVATIONS WRITTEN BY A VISITING RESEARCHER OR ADVENTURER ABOUT THE CULTURE IN THE PAST. THESE ARE USUALLY THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTSIDER NOT THE WAY THE LOCALS PERCEIVE IT AT ALL. EVEN A KEEN OBSERVER IS USING HIS LOGIC AND POINT OF VIEW NOT THAT OF THE FORIGN CULTURE HE IS STUDYING SO MISTAKES ARE MADE. YEP!! ITS COMPLICATED BUT VERY INTERESTING Last edited by VANDOO; 27th April 2013 at 05:31 AM.

26th April 2013, 04:47 PM	#1
GIO Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 328	Q 1 : yes Q 2 : yes, but only to a certain extent. I collect Western, Indonesian and Japanese (very few) weapons, and have an idea of the general cultural and historical background of the Countries concerned, but I find that a full knowledge of what stays behind is very difficult, complicated and far from our culture and tradition. I am referring mainly to Indonesia, as you can immagine. In my opinion the understanding of Javanese thinking would take an entire life, and "even more" if one could not have the possibilty of living in Indonesia, in contact with all categories of people, and for rather long periods of time. The alternative is to read books, but this is by far insufficient. To conclude, a collector should do his best to understand other cultures as much as he can, but the main appeal for the items he collects will always consist in their artistic and technical aspect

26th April 2013, 10:55 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Thank you for your responses, gentlemen, and I do hope that some of our other members will also let me have their opinions.