NEW KERIS BOOK 0F 2021

[ganjawulung]

Exploring the meaning of the symbols hidden behind the works of ancient Nusantara artists is really exciting. And one by one the ornamental motifs behind a keris, for example, or the carvings on a keris hilt, can reveal messages of virtue and good wishes that the ancestors want to convey. From the decorative motifs of various animals, plants, natural paintings at the base of the curve of the blade, not only presenting beauty. However, it can sprinkle a million meaningful messages.

And the rampant Covid19 pandemic wave apparently did not dampen the steps of Pak Guntur Setyanto Bledheg Samin and the Baḍavañ team to present a work for cultural enthusiasts. A book decorated with cool photos of keris blades from all over the archipelago, the collection of Samin House of Jakarta, is launched in the middle of February 2021.

Practically the days of the pandemic are filled with flipping through and examining primary sources of archipelago old javanese classic literatures, such as Slokantara which contains Old Javanese didactic texts, Adiparwa books, Kakawin Desawarnana, Kakawin Ramayana, Asvamedha Parwa's Sanskrit texts, as well as Arthasastra and various discourses. Another way to try to explore what are the hidden meanings of the various motifs on the blade, warangka or keris?

Manned by young Creative writer Director Christophanie and young writers from the Baḍavañ team (some young philologist of University of Indonesia), who were moved to take a closer look at the Samin House Collection of kris, in less than 40 days they managed to produce a book full of beautiful photos, 436 pages ...

Apart from the beauty of photography, the book entitled "Didactic Values of Nusantara Kris" (English edition, and also currently being revised in Indonesian edition) was launched in mid-February 2021. Printed is very limited, not sold and distributed to a limited circle, but the pdf texts can accessible to the public through the team's special website, DVNH (Didactic Values of Nusantara Heritage), for free.

And unlike other books on keris, this volume I book on DVNH is deliberately presented in a common language. Trying to explain various knick-knacks, details and intricacies of the keris without using technical terms such as dhapur, tangguh, ricikan, tanjeg, and various typical keris terms. Of course, it is intended that this book can be read by a wider audience outside the world of keris, both in the archipelago and abroad.

In the next few months, the same team, Guntur Setyanto and the Baḍavañ team, are preparing the following edition, which is still in the scope of the DVNH theme, and it could be the next cultural editions again.

Kindly click on the DVNH link to access it ....

GANJAWULUNG PAKBO (Jakarta, 18/02/2021)