"KERIS BALI" BOOK
 

Dear All,
Not many publications on keris, exposed Balinese keris -- its tradition, its forms and shapes. I think this is one of them. New book on Bali Keris has just been launched last Sunday 12th of December at Ubud, Bali...

GANJAWULUNG

Thanks...a really good news ... on february i try to buy the book

Dear Marco,

Some informations are too general, but you may find interesting pictures of many kinds of warangkas, handles, balinese keris assesories, kinds of danganan. Very useful to non-balinese...
Also some cultural background of balinese tradition. Some were extracted by the writer from "lontar" scriptures, and balinese old inscriptions such as Prasasti Trunyan (9th century) etc...
Written on bahasa Indonesia, consists of 320 pages. Good illustrations, of Neka Art Museum Collections and others. Useful infos too on the still living warangka makers, danganan makers and so on.

Pak Ganja,
Very good news and welcome back to the forum, from where can we get it?
Best regards
Jean

Just to pre-empt this before it gets started, review the book here, but if you want to list a place where you can buy it, please post such info in a thread in the swap forum. Thanks. :)

@David, yes of course, that is the rule here to obey. Interesting infos in this book, for instance, mentioning on "penggandring" (keris maker in balinese term) in Bali. Some modern balinese "penggandring" mentioned are for instance, Jro Mangku Pande Ketut Sandi (1931-2007), Mangku Pande Wija (1926-till now), Pande Nyoman Budiana (1964-till now), Pande Made Sumadiyasa (1984-till now), Pande Putu Sunarta (1966-till now), Pande Subrata (1950-till now), Pande Made Gde Suardika (1972-till now).
Still there are some keris makers in Bali today. That is good news, of course...

"Danganan" (hilt) makers, among them Wayan Tika, Wayan Tagel, Wayan Sandi, Ida Bagus Pastika (one of the best among them), Ida Bagus Puja, Pande Nyoman Sugita, Wayan Suwastawa etc...

Warangka and pendhok makers, are among them Wayan Roja, Pande Wayan Ritug, Wayan Rajin and his son Made Ardika (24), Made Dana, Made Pada etc..

Keris culture is still growing well in Bali...

@Jean, I will PM you where you can get it (although I have no connection at all with this publications). What I know is, the first publication is only limited to 50 books only and not for sale. Maybe more books to come...

GANJAWULUNG

Some examples of balinese hilts, with special information such as this: the difference between the "the northern bondolan" (the upper picture) and the "common bondolan" (the lower picture). Slight but meaningful difference..

Or in the second picture in this post, the special "pelet" (motif in timoho hilt) we usually called "kendhit" like the strap-motif, that balinese usually call it "bebed kelinden" motif... With the (balinese) meaning of it. They believe, such motif in balinese danganan, have special tuah of "penolak bala" (against the bad deed), and put more kharisma to the owner etc...

Examples on balinese seluts too..

Met with Neka( Neka Museum in Ubud ) 3 weeks ago and told me the English version will be available in July .

Cheers

Henri

Thanks Henri, that is good news...expensive book though, i'll need to be saving my pennies for this one... ;)

Yes, the book seems really wonderful, but I regret I cannot read Indonesian, and thus all information about all inscriptions and tradition would be lost for me.
Any hope to have books like this and "Keris Java. Antara mistik dan nalar" translated in English ? I heard time ago that "Ensiklopedi keris" was about to be translated. Anybody knows something ?

To Marco : Enjoy your trip to Indonesia !

Gio, did you miss Henri's post above? :)

"Keris Jawa" is just about finished in its Bahasa Indonesia edition.

I have heard that there are still a large number of copies in existence, but they are subject to a dispute on royalties, and if and when they ever do come onto the market the price will be a little bit frightening.

Promises of English editions of Indonesian books seldom come to fruition, there are many reasons for this, and these should not be discussed here.

Hopefully the "Keris Bali" English language edition will eventuate. Pak Neka is very much more attuned to the reality of business than many people, and if he wants this book to truly succeed he would understand that it must be in English. It will have the spinoff effect of publication of his wonderful collection and museum.

The original release was a limited edition, and has already become a collector's item.

You are right, David, in the hurry to express my concern I went too quickly through the posts. Sorry
Thanks to Mr Maisey for the additional info.