Period Pics Of Keris In Hand or Being Worn

Laowang · 26th March 2017, 07:53 PM

The Tropenmuseum in the Netherlands has a remarkable collection of pre-WW II photographs of Balinese and Javanese wearing keris in the traditional manner, available through their website. Link here:

http://collectie.tropenmuseum.nl/def...254.1467571078

Search using "kris" as the search term, and click on the "photos" tab.

Laowang · 26th March 2017, 07:56 PM

A couple examples.

CharlesS · 27th March 2017, 06:48 PM

Thanks Laowang!!

This are exactly the type of photos I am looking for.

Thanks again!

David · 27th March 2017, 07:34 PM

I know i can find more for you Charles, but here are a few more for now.

kai · 27th March 2017, 07:50 PM

Hello Charles,

Have you screened the Amsterdam collection and got enough suitable pics?

Quite a few of these pics were staged, so you have to evaluate them carefully. Pics from gatherings are more likely to be real than some of those done for European/colonial customers (postcards).

Regards,
Kai

David · 27th March 2017, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

Quite a few of these pics were staged, so you have to evaluate them carefully. Pics from gatherings are more likely to be real than some of those done for European/colonial customers (postcards).

That may be true Kai as with the image of the two Bali warriors i posted, however i would think that that would not be the case with portraits of royalty in terms of the way they would wear or hold their keris. So even though the image of Gusti Ngura K'tut Djilantik is a portrait sitting i think you can feel confident that the photographer didn't position the keris in the photo for his own aesthetic purposes.

Laowang · 1st April 2017, 08:25 PM

Kai, I would agree that the photos I posted can be considered "staged" in the sense that they are formal portraits in traditional dress no different from how a modern Japanese woman might sit for a formal photographic portrait in a kimono. The portrait sitters probably did not dress like that everyday, but rather for special occasions (just like my example of the modern Japanese woman). However, the dress itself and mode of wearing the keris appear culturally and historically accurate.

Laowang · 1st April 2017, 08:29 PM

Here's an intriguing photograph from the Tropenmuseum's collection taken in 1910-20. Note that the subject is wearing a European-style jacket combined with his keris.

26th March 2017, 07:56 PM	#2
Laowang Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 40˚00' N, 83˚00' W Posts: 52	A couple examples. Attached Images

27th March 2017, 07:34 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,209	I know i can find more for you Charles, but here are a few more for now. Attached Images

26th March 2017, 07:53 PM	#1
Laowang Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 40˚00' N, 83˚00' W Posts: 52	The Tropenmuseum in the Netherlands has a remarkable collection of pre-WW II photographs of Balinese and Javanese wearing keris in the traditional manner, available through their website. Link here: http://collectie.tropenmuseum.nl/def...254.1467571078 Search using "kris" as the search term, and click on the "photos" tab.

27th March 2017, 06:48 PM	#3
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,854	Thanks Laowang!! This are exactly the type of photos I am looking for. Thanks again!

27th March 2017, 07:50 PM	#5
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Charles, Have you screened the Amsterdam collection and got enough suitable pics? Quite a few of these pics were staged, so you have to evaluate them carefully. Pics from gatherings are more likely to be real than some of those done for European/colonial customers (postcards). Regards, Kai

1st April 2017, 08:25 PM	#7
Laowang Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 40˚00' N, 83˚00' W Posts: 52	Kai, I would agree that the photos I posted can be considered "staged" in the sense that they are formal portraits in traditional dress no different from how a modern Japanese woman might sit for a formal photographic portrait in a kimono. The portrait sitters probably did not dress like that everyday, but rather for special occasions (just like my example of the modern Japanese woman). However, the dress itself and mode of wearing the keris appear culturally and historically accurate.

1st April 2017, 08:29 PM	#8
Laowang Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 40˚00' N, 83˚00' W Posts: 52	Here's an intriguing photograph from the Tropenmuseum's collection taken in 1910-20. Note that the subject is wearing a European-style jacket combined with his keris.