Old Java Keris ???

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Gavin, I'm pretty firmly in the camp that believes in the concept that all peoples, societies, cultures own their own culture.

What I have been taught by people who actively participate in Javanese culture is that it is disrespectful to keep an old blade in damaged and/or inferior dress.

The keris is not to be regarded as some sort of generic artefact that has been frozen in time, rather it should be regarded as a living entity & treated with the respect that is due to a living entity.

Added to this more or less general perspective there is the perspective of Empu Suparman, who in addition to upholding the "living entity" perspective added to that the belief that failure to respect and maintain a keris in proper dress & condition was immensely disrespectful to the maker of that keris.

We do not have the right to adopt the attitude that we own any keris, we do not and cannot own a keris. All we have is the obligation to care for a keris as long as it is in our own custody. That concept of "care" is similar to the way in which we might care for a family member.

If we have any love & respect for our family members we do not dress them in rags and fail to provide soap & water, nor do we deny them food.

At the moment you are blessed with the opportunity to care for this quite beautiful keris. You should consider yourself fortunate.

Thank you Alan for these kind, respectful, and insightful words of yours.

I do feel very privileged to know such a rare piece of history so intimately and being able to share it and learn, equally privileged to be offered your life time of experience on the subject matter and be able to engage in conversations like this openly.

I do not claim to own anything other than this short lived meat suit I wear, but even that is ego speaking as I have no control other than maintenance over it within the engagement with time that it has...

I am certainly doing my best in preserving it from further deterioration, beyond that I do not have the skills, insight, contacts, nor ability to do otherwise any true cultural justice, any attempts by me, are to me a more gross disrespect. Frankly, myself included, does any one individual deserve this keris, should it not be persevered within an institution.... but they too have their limitations and often longevity issues...

With these limitations, I can only care and maintain it as I can, until my time passes or I pass it to a new custodian.

With thanks

Gavin