Requesting Help!! Identifying the specifics of a Kris

A. G. Maisey · 25th February 2021, 07:13 PM

All clear, all understood Mickey. I think that perhaps what you have written reflects the position of many of us, and possibly humanity in general.

As to me being a Surakarta guy.

Most of the time I have spent in Indonesia has been spent in Surakarta. I have relatives living in Surakarta, I used to have business interests in Surakarta, most of my Indonesian friends come from Surakarta, all except one of my keris teachers were from Surakarta.

With that sort of background I think it is pretty correct to classify me as being orientated towards Surakarta. But you're dead right, I am most certainly not the voice of the Karaton Surakarta. I have not now, nor at any time in the past had any official association with the Karaton Surakarta, and the situation that has prevailed in respect of that kraton since the passing of PBXII fills me with sadness. Currently I would not want to be associated with it.

However, my principal teacher of the keris was absolutely committed to the Karaton Surakarta and it is inevitable that my own standards and attitudes have been influenced by this.

But putting this personal position of mine to one side, any objective examination of the history and politics of Jawa for the last, say, 800 years cannot produce any conclusion other than that the senior branch of the House of Mataram is the Surakarta Branch of that House, and as such must represent the definitive standard of what it means to be Javanese.

And I will leave the final sentence of this post unwritten.

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25th February 2021, 07:13 PM	#36
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	All clear, all understood Mickey. I think that perhaps what you have written reflects the position of many of us, and possibly humanity in general. As to me being a Surakarta guy. Most of the time I have spent in Indonesia has been spent in Surakarta. I have relatives living in Surakarta, I used to have business interests in Surakarta, most of my Indonesian friends come from Surakarta, all except one of my keris teachers were from Surakarta. With that sort of background I think it is pretty correct to classify me as being orientated towards Surakarta. But you're dead right, I am most certainly not the voice of the Karaton Surakarta. I have not now, nor at any time in the past had any official association with the Karaton Surakarta, and the situation that has prevailed in respect of that kraton since the passing of PBXII fills me with sadness. Currently I would not want to be associated with it. However, my principal teacher of the keris was absolutely committed to the Karaton Surakarta and it is inevitable that my own standards and attitudes have been influenced by this. But putting this personal position of mine to one side, any objective examination of the history and politics of Jawa for the last, say, 800 years cannot produce any conclusion other than that the senior branch of the House of Mataram is the Surakarta Branch of that House, and as such must represent the definitive standard of what it means to be Javanese. And I will leave the final sentence of this post unwritten.