The basics of keris understanding?

A. G. Maisey · 25th June 2008, 12:34 AM

Thanks for the compliment Jussi, but in this discussion group I think that everybody's opinon carries equal weight, at least in respect of what deserves discussion, and what does not deserve discussion. It appears to me that the bulk of members have decided that any attempts to understand the keris are a waste of time and effort, and that it is sufficient simply to collect it.

I bow to the wisdom and wishes of the majority.

Although the notorious "good keris" thread did cover a lot of ground, if I review that thread, it seems to me that what it does is to provide a fairly usable set of guidelines for keris collectors based in the western world. I don't think it moves into the areas of "understanding" that this current thread seeks to explore. One could perhaps say that "good keris" allows a collector living in the western world to understand the parameters within which he can build a valid collection.

In fact, I don't think that the discussion that Jussi is seeking to open has ever been pursued within this Forum, past a few casual remarks. I see this present thread as an opportunity to improve the understanding of the many facets of the keris.

That understanding can vary from situation to situation. For instance, the understanding of students of the keris who are based in Malaysia, could well vary from the understanding of a student of the keris living in Central Jawa.

However, if as a group we are not interested in expanding our knowledge of these matters, then I suggest we just let this thread die a natural death and get on with the more import aspects of keris study, such as looking at pictures of handles, unusual scabbards, and the shadows of blades.

Specific to your query Jussi, the Surakarta blade form is essentially a very robust blade which gives the impression of strength and bravery, the features should be clearly expressed and deeply carved, and the tangguh indicators include a strong ada-ada, upright blumbangan and a ron dha that echoes the modern form of the Javanese letter dha.The dress is inclined to flamboyance.There is , of course, more to it than this, but this is probably already far too much for the level of interest that this thread has created.

25th June 2008, 12:34 AM	#12
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Thanks for the compliment Jussi, but in this discussion group I think that everybody's opinon carries equal weight, at least in respect of what deserves discussion, and what does not deserve discussion. It appears to me that the bulk of members have decided that any attempts to understand the keris are a waste of time and effort, and that it is sufficient simply to collect it. I bow to the wisdom and wishes of the majority. Although the notorious "good keris" thread did cover a lot of ground, if I review that thread, it seems to me that what it does is to provide a fairly usable set of guidelines for keris collectors based in the western world. I don't think it moves into the areas of "understanding" that this current thread seeks to explore. One could perhaps say that "good keris" allows a collector living in the western world to understand the parameters within which he can build a valid collection. In fact, I don't think that the discussion that Jussi is seeking to open has ever been pursued within this Forum, past a few casual remarks. I see this present thread as an opportunity to improve the understanding of the many facets of the keris. That understanding can vary from situation to situation. For instance, the understanding of students of the keris who are based in Malaysia, could well vary from the understanding of a student of the keris living in Central Jawa. However, if as a group we are not interested in expanding our knowledge of these matters, then I suggest we just let this thread die a natural death and get on with the more import aspects of keris study, such as looking at pictures of handles, unusual scabbards, and the shadows of blades. Specific to your query Jussi, the Surakarta blade form is essentially a very robust blade which gives the impression of strength and bravery, the features should be clearly expressed and deeply carved, and the tangguh indicators include a strong ada-ada, upright blumbangan and a ron dha that echoes the modern form of the Javanese letter dha.The dress is inclined to flamboyance.There is , of course, more to it than this, but this is probably already far too much for the level of interest that this thread has created.