For comment #2

Green · 27th March 2019, 12:01 AM

Alan;

Many thanks for your honest answer and I respect your conviction.

As an aside, although I totally agree with you about one not being able to fully grasp the subtleties of a keris blade from pictures, no matter how high the resolution is unless one can hold it in one's own hand, unfortunately in my case most of my buying is based on pictures from trusted sellers and collectors - a large part of which come from western collections. I consider this as my very modest effort to bring back home those that have travelled far outside their original culture. And if I may add, many of which are in a very sorry state where the blades have been 'abused' by over zealous cleaning into shiny silvery surface, which is definitely not the right way to treat them . but we've gone over this- my pet beef- before.

A. G. Maisey · 27th March 2019, 12:30 AM

The buying thing can be a problem Nik, and I probably understand this as well as, or maybe better than, most, because I sell from pictures, even though I almost never buy from pics. I do not buy from pics because I do not need to, I sell from pics because other people do need them to buy from.

But buying a keris from a picture is very, very different to understanding that keris, and in my opinion, the understanding can never come from a picture, no matter how good that image may be.

Incorrect attempts at cleaning and restoration can be regrettable, but so can failure to give sympathetic care to a keris, or anything else for that matter. A long time back I bought a box of keris, about 20 or 30 of them, mostly Bugis style, that looked as if they had spent the previous 100 years in the bottom of a Dutch dyke*. But they all restored well.

*I am writing Standard English.

Green · 28th March 2019, 04:17 AM

Alan;

LOL..you do have a fine sense of humor... that * helps.

But would love to see those box of bugis if you still keep them... as i collect bugis...both malaysian/patani bugis, and bugis bugis...

A. G. Maisey · 28th March 2019, 08:36 AM

NiK, that box of Bugis was bought in about 1980, they were restored and sold long ago. They were all complete, but nothing of any quality amongst them.

27th March 2019, 12:01 AM	#1
Green Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Malaysia Posts: 323	Alan; Many thanks for your honest answer and I respect your conviction. As an aside, although I totally agree with you about one not being able to fully grasp the subtleties of a keris blade from pictures, no matter how high the resolution is unless one can hold it in one's own hand, unfortunately in my case most of my buying is based on pictures from trusted sellers and collectors - a large part of which come from western collections. I consider this as my very modest effort to bring back home those that have travelled far outside their original culture. And if I may add, many of which are in a very sorry state where the blades have been 'abused' by over zealous cleaning into shiny silvery surface, which is definitely not the right way to treat them . but we've gone over this- my pet beef- before.

27th March 2019, 12:30 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	The buying thing can be a problem Nik, and I probably understand this as well as, or maybe better than, most, because I sell from pictures, even though I almost never buy from pics. I do not buy from pics because I do not need to, I sell from pics because other people do need them to buy from. But buying a keris from a picture is very, very different to understanding that keris, and in my opinion, the understanding can never come from a picture, no matter how good that image may be. Incorrect attempts at cleaning and restoration can be regrettable, but so can failure to give sympathetic care to a keris, or anything else for that matter. A long time back I bought a box of keris, about 20 or 30 of them, mostly Bugis style, that looked as if they had spent the previous 100 years in the bottom of a Dutch dyke. But they all restored well. I am writing Standard English.

28th March 2019, 04:17 AM	#3
Green Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Malaysia Posts: 323	Alan; LOL..you do have a fine sense of humor... that * helps. But would love to see those box of bugis if you still keep them... as i collect bugis...both malaysian/patani bugis, and bugis bugis...

28th March 2019, 08:36 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	NiK, that box of Bugis was bought in about 1980, they were restored and sold long ago. They were all complete, but nothing of any quality amongst them.