Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 21st September 2010, 12:01 AM

This question about gold is a recurring one that has arisen time and time again in discussion about keris. I don't know if it has arisen in this Forum previously, but over the years it often been discussed in other places.

In any discussion of this nature we need to define the period, the society, and the division within society, so you could ask:-

" In the Kartasura Karaton who was permitted to wear a keris adorned with gold?"

Or you could ask:-

"In 19th century Surakarta society, within the community outside the Karaton, could a man wear a keris adorned with gold?"

Or you could ask:-

"In the Kingdom of Badung in 18th century Bali, what were the rules that affected the wearing of gold on a keris?"

You see, its not just keris and who can wear gold. It is every single society, every single Kraton, every single time period, that must be addressed..

You need to define the question, then you can look for an answer.

One size does not fit all.

For example A.H.Hill wrote:-

"The Malacca Code instituted by Sultan Muhammad Shah about 1415 laid down rules about who, for instance, would be allowed to wear a keris with a gold hilt or sheath, and when the tip of the hilt was to be worn pointing inwards as a sign of peace, or outwards as a sign of aggressive intentions. 'Persons attached to the palace are not allowed to wear a keris with a golden handle-----the penalty being confiscation of the weapon'. Much latitude was allowed to the Bendahara and his family, but usually only the Sultan himself might wear a keris completely encased in gold."

However, Javanese tradition has it that after the campaign against Pati, Sultan Agung awarded various gold kinatah adornments to various ranks of officers who took part in the campaign.

Then when we come to the 19th century, in locations across Jawa we had anybody in the general community who had sufficient wealth and the desire to so do, wearing keris that were adorned with gold.

To return to 1415. Note that the Malacca Code only laid down dress rules in this respect for people attached to the palace.

So, the answer to this original question cannot be given as any succinct formula. We need to seek an answer that is defined in terms of place, time, and societal position.

21st September 2010, 12:01 AM	#9
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	This question about gold is a recurring one that has arisen time and time again in discussion about keris. I don't know if it has arisen in this Forum previously, but over the years it often been discussed in other places. In any discussion of this nature we need to define the period, the society, and the division within society, so you could ask:- " In the Kartasura Karaton who was permitted to wear a keris adorned with gold?" Or you could ask:- "In 19th century Surakarta society, within the community outside the Karaton, could a man wear a keris adorned with gold?" Or you could ask:- "In the Kingdom of Badung in 18th century Bali, what were the rules that affected the wearing of gold on a keris?" You see, its not just keris and who can wear gold. It is every single society, every single Kraton, every single time period, that must be addressed.. You need to define the question, then you can look for an answer. One size does not fit all. For example A.H.Hill wrote:- "The Malacca Code instituted by Sultan Muhammad Shah about 1415 laid down rules about who, for instance, would be allowed to wear a keris with a gold hilt or sheath, and when the tip of the hilt was to be worn pointing inwards as a sign of peace, or outwards as a sign of aggressive intentions. 'Persons attached to the palace are not allowed to wear a keris with a golden handle-----the penalty being confiscation of the weapon'. Much latitude was allowed to the Bendahara and his family, but usually only the Sultan himself might wear a keris completely encased in gold." However, Javanese tradition has it that after the campaign against Pati, Sultan Agung awarded various gold kinatah adornments to various ranks of officers who took part in the campaign. Then when we come to the 19th century, in locations across Jawa we had anybody in the general community who had sufficient wealth and the desire to so do, wearing keris that were adorned with gold. To return to 1415. Note that the Malacca Code only laid down dress rules in this respect for people attached to the palace. So, the answer to this original question cannot be given as any succinct formula. We need to seek an answer that is defined in terms of place, time, and societal position.