[A. G. Maisey]

Ariel, everything that David has said is correct, but it possibly needs a little bit of expansion.

Firstly, there are a number of ways in which to regard a keris, and in the modern world the esoteric functions of a keris do not necessarily embrace the artistic functions of a keris. Thus, at the present time in Bali we have at least one maker who produces very poor quality keris in the artistic sense, but these keris are highly regarded in the esoteric sense. His production is totally focussed on local consumption.

In the book “Keris Bali Bersejarah” there are 8 present day makers of keris listed. Their production is locally focussed and although I have never purchased a keris from any of them, my understanding is that the price of these current production Bali keris places them well outside what western collectors are prepared to pay.

There is a real need for keris as cultural artifacts in both Bali and Jawa. In both places the keris is still a part of formal dress, and in Bali there are a number of rituals which require the use of a keris.

I cannot emphasise too strongly that the people who buy the product of present day keris makers are for the most part local people, both Javanese and Balinese.

One of the first things that a newcomer to keris culture hears about is the production that takes place in Madura. Your perception of this Madura activity is not unusual amongst western collectors, but is not quite as you may think.

Firstly, the manufacture of keris in the area around Sumenep has been going on for hundreds of years. Madura smiths made for mainland Javanese consumption, and for export to other places in SE Asia from probably the time of Majapahit, and from certainly the time of Mataram. In fact, Madura makers have never really stopped. The keris that they were producing after WWII and prior to the keris revival of the ‘70‘s were pretty rough, very poor quality, but they were still producing when everywhere else had drawn back from production. When the revival got under way the younger generation were inspired to begin production again on a larger scale and to a higher quality.

The keris that the best of the present generation of makers produce are artistically as good or better than anything that has ever been produced. However, the average collector, whether in the western world, or in Indonesia and outside the inner circle, will almost never even get to see this top of the line production. Very often the work of the very best men is spoken for before it is even started, it almost never appears on the open market and the only way to obtain an example of this top quality work is if you have the right connections.

The best of modern production is a very, very long way from what you can find on ebay.It is far from the “mass production of objects of art”. It is the very, very limited production of works of art by highly respected artists and it is very seldom seen on the open market. The work of the makers of Central Jawa who were involved in the beginning of the revival of the ‘70’s now commands four and five figure dollar prices.

Yes, keris of less than excellent quality are also being made in the modern era, but keris of less than excellent quality have always been made. If it was inferior when it was made, the fact that it has a bit of age on it does not magically make it worthwhile. The bare fact of the matter is that most keris in the market place , whether those keris are old or new, are very, very ordinary quality.

This is perfectly understandable as most people cannot afford four and five and even six figure dollar amounts to buy a keris for a social need, such as to wear at a wedding.

So yes, a lot of less than wonderful keris get churned out by the Madura makers, but the market for those keris are the millions upon millions of Javanese men who earn something less than Rp.one million or so a month and who, for example, want their own keris for their wedding, or who wish to give a son a keris.

The Javanese keris trade, whether at the highest level, or right at the bottom, is focussed internally, not directed towards buyers in other countries.

Yes, all keris production in both Bali and Jawa is commercial, and that has been the case for a very long time. The idea of the lone aesthetic sitting on top of a mountain and meditating and fasting for 30 days before he strikes the single monthly blow to forge a keris is totally, totally wrong. In fact, the true “magic” in a keris is of a completely different nature to that which virtually everybody imagines it to be.

In 1812 Raffles noted that the keris in Jawa had become an item of dress rather than a weapon. Keris and other weapons were a major item of export during and after Mataram.

Frankly, I do not expect to see Balinese makers go down the path of bulk production. The Balinese mind-set is not something that can be easily understood by anybody from outside Balinese society and culture. Just because others may think in terms of supply & demand and commercial opportunity, that does not necessarily mean that the members of the Pande clan will try to jump onto this band wagon.