Neka

[Marcokeris]

from Neka museum in Ubud (Bali) some photos of permanent marvellous keris exposition

[David]

Wow...you must have felt like you had died and gone to heaven!
Can you provide any context to this exhibit? The work is absolutely beautiful, but the close-ups look like fairly recent pieces. What is the source of this lovely collections?

[Mick]

Are they serious?

[Lew]

I must agree with David these are recently made keris the blades look like good Maduran made copies to me. I see that there is a secondary bevel on the edges of the blades that is a dead give away

Lew

[brekele]

Keris with dapur Kilin and Nogo Sapto are look very nice.
Even both of them it seem new made (tangguh kamardikan).

hhmm.......nice object to painted
olalaa...


bre

[David]

From the museum's website comes this discription which i assume is the exhibit in question:
Dozens of antique and new keris from the collection of Suteja Neka, paintings from the Neka Art Museum with keris in them along with photographs by its curator Garrett Kam showing keris in Balinese costumes, ceremonies and dances are highlighted. This will be complemented by an exhibition of traditional Balinese paintings from private collections in Jakarta organized by Larasati Auctioneers and Friends of Larasati. Two books will be launched: The Neka Art Museum in Modern Balinese History: Art and the Passage of Time by Garrett Kam, and Mimpi Jadi Kenyata an compiled by Kardi Suteja and Wahyu Suteja, sons of Suteja Neka and Gusti Made Srimin. NOTE: The opening gala event is by invitation only.
They do mention that at least some of these keris are new and i would suspect that Madura is a likely source for them. They do seem like nice examples of new work so i don't see much problem with it if they are indeed presented as such. I wonder what the balance of new/old pieces is for this show. The one "old" keris photo that they show on the site is too small to tell much, but is described as the 17th century royal keris Ki Baju Rante (Venerable Armored Coat).

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, the close-ups are of recent keris, but they appear to be very fine recent keris.

In Indonesia today fine keris by the top current makers are highly regarded as serious art-work, they command very high prices, and are often sold before they are finished.

Lew, when you say:- "---there is a secondary bevel on the edges of the blades that is a dead give away---" I suspect that you are probably talking about the kusen (also "gusen"). The kusen is a correct feature of any high quality blade in good condition, you will find it in well maintained Surakarta blades of the 19th century, and it exists on older blades that left Jawa and Bali when they were still new. It is not found in blades that lack artistic excellence, and it is not found in blades where considerable erosion has occurred, but we do expect to see this feature in any well maintained blade with any pretensions at all to artistic expression.

I have spoken with several people who have visited this Neka gallery, and by all accounts it is a truly beautiful exhibition of the art of the keris.

[Marcokeris]

Originally Posted by David

Wow...you must have felt like you had died and gone to heaven!
Can you provide any context to this exhibit? The work is absolutely beautiful, but the close-ups look like fairly recent pieces. What is the source of this lovely collections?

I will scanner the little english brochure about the exibition.

[David]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

I will scanner the little english brochure about the exibition.

Thanks Marco, that would be great.

[Marcokeris]

Here the depliant:

[ganjawulung]

Dear Marco and All,

I'm sorry for joining this discussion so late. I'd like to add some informations on Neka Art Museum in Ubud, especially on its permanent exhibition on keris. I had visited this museum too on February and met with Mr Neka, the owner. (Pls see the photo below, Mr Neka hold the marvelous keris of Tantri Singa-Lembu or Lion Fighting Bull from Tantri Fable, 15th century). I had taken these photos with his permission.

This Neka Keris Museum is also a place where you can see good "documentations" of contemporary kerises which were made by contemporary empus and still living Indonesian keris makers. Altogether, there are total 218 kerises -- including 18 old Balinese keris heritages. It exhibits permanently -- not only kerises which were made by Balinese keris maker like Ketut Mudra, or young Madurese keris maker like Moh Basri -- but also kerises which were made by javanese keris makers like the late Empu Djeno from Jogjakarta. Or Solonese keris maker like Subandi Supaningrat, Sukamdi, Suyanto etc.

The Keris Museum in Ubud is only a small part of the greater Neka Art Museum which were built on a hill-site of about 10.000 m2, not far from the Spanish painter's gallery Antonio Blanco. Hundreds of very fine paintings are exhibited in more than 7 galleries. From various traditional Balinese paintings, to foreign paintings like of Arie Smit (Holland) during his staying in Bali.

Neka himself is a real collector, although he has also keris-maker blood. That is why he bears name "Pande" (Pande Wayan Suteja Neka) in front of his name. He said to me, that now he stop collecting new paintings but beginning collecting kerises. The establishment of permanent keris exhibition is also meant for commemorating the 25th aniversary of his gallery, on July 27, 2007, He said, he was inspired to make keris museum after visiting a keris exhibition in Bentara Budaya Jakarta on 1996.

It takes about an hour by (hiring) car from Kuta. And you will see so many art galleries in this Ubud site -- as you know already. Not only Neka Gallery, or Antonio Blanco Gallery. Ubud, is really an interesting place to visit for anybody who loves paintings and also kerises...

(Pictures below, four photos of keris Tantri Singa-Lembu, and then one photo each of 13th century keris pijetan of old Balinese kingdom of Karangasem, keris with 5 luks Singa Barong of Gianyar kingdom, and keris of Puri Agung Karangasem named Ki Baju Rante 17th century...)

GANJAWULUNG (April 3, 2008)

[David]

Thank you both, Marco and Ganja, for this great additional information. I am glad to hear that this exhibition is permanent, because i know that i will make my way to Bali someday!
That keris pejetan has me drooling a bit....as does the singa barong...

[A. G. Maisey]

Well done Pak Ganja!

Thank you!

Is this exhibition permanent, or does it close on 22 August? I thought I read somewhere that it only ran until 22 August.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

Thank you both, Marco and Ganja, for this great additional information. I am glad to hear that this exhibition is permanent, because i know that i will make my way to Bali someday!
That keris pejetan has me drooling a bit....as does the singa barong...

Yes David, you ought to go to Bali someday to see this marvelous exhibition. This paintings collector, Suteja Neka said he also became fascinated by keris and began learning keris as much as he could when he watched keris making in Pura Penataran in September 2006. At that time, the Pura Penataran Pande Peliatan blacksmith clan temple south of Ubud held a huge rededication ceremony. For this, its members had a new Balinese keris made. During a ritual forging of the blade in June, men took turns hammering the red-hot metal at the home of the temple's priest. Suteja Neka -- the senior person of the Pura -- overseeing the ceremonies.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Well done Pak Ganja!

Thank you!

Is this exhibition permanent, or does it close on 22 August? I thought I read somewhere that it only ran until 22 August.

According to Mr Neka, this is a permanent exhibition. And he said, that he will enlarge and enlarge the museum in the future, and add all the time the number of keris collection.

GANJAWULUNG (April 4, 2008)

[A. G. Maisey]

Thanks Pak Ganja.

[Marcokeris]

David
If you will make your way to Bali someday i will be happy to give you some advice about places where to see (...and buy) keris or keris handles.
Ganja
I must tell you thank you for your help to see Neka Museum.....and to take photos

[David]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

David
If you will make your way to Bali someday i will be happy to give you some advice about places where to see (...and buy) keris or keris handles.
Ganja
I must tell you thank you for your help to see Neka Museum.....and to take photos

Thanks Marco. When the time comes i will be sure to enlist the assistance of all willing to give me advice on such matters.