Coyness in posting keris pics

[David]

Originally Posted by SidJ

I had a thought on this. Could not wanting to share or show keris be an Islamic precept or cultural practice? Pre Islam might keris have been proudly shown? Look at the old stone sculptures. No shame there in displaying. Another point is that the keris had to fit into the new islamic paradigm. Keeping it hidden might have been one way of navigating this? In Hinduism and other Islamic societies weapons are shown off proudly. Keris had to deal with particular issues that meant keeping them under the radar might have been best perhaps? Wjat is the case in Bali?

Interesting thought. I don't think collectors in general give enough thought to the differences in keris tradition between Hindu and Islamic times, or for that matter, between all eras of keris use.
However, i am not sure we can point to a display of keris in old Hindu temple reliefs. Firstly, when keris blades are on display in old temple reliefs, they are generally showing keris in use. It is not simply a display of the blade as if to say, "hey, look at my keris blade". Secondly, that's art, so it is a bit removed from someones personal pusaka keris. It's just an artistic depiction.
I am not too sure on how this is seen historically or in present day Bali. The first thing that comes to mind regarding display a keris blade in Bali is the keris dance element of the Barong Dance. In the modern era this is mostly done as a performance for tourists. Certainly it originally had a more ritual/ceremonial element, but today it is mostly theatre. Which is not to say that actual trance states do not still occur. But i don't think it is likely that the keris the dancers use in these performances are their personal pusaka. So again, this might not be the best example to show that displaying your keris in public is considered proper.