20th Century Solonese Keris

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Raden Usman Djogja

Therefore, if any kerislover wants to have a look, perhaps, I could take and share a picture of it.

Please Raden,

I want to look at your "sepang urubing damar".. Every sepang has its own beauty. One of the "everybody likes" dhapurs..

[David]

Wow! This conversation is great! This is important stuff to consider for the continuence of the keris art. I would love to encourage more talk on these matters.
Maybe it is just the anarchist in me, but i do have a bit of a problem seeing any kind of artform patented. I think it is up to the buyer to be able to determine if they are buying real and quality items and putting a patent on a keris dhapur in no way insured that it won't be copied anyway. Just look at all the fake Guccis in the fashion world.
Keris makers today are certainly creating new keris with old dhapurs, dhapurs that were never "patented".

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

... I think it is up to the buyer to be able to determine if they are buying real and quality items and putting a patent on a keris dhapur in no way insured that it won't be copied anyway. Just look at all the fake Guccis in the fashion world.
Keris makers today are certainly creating new keris with old dhapurs, dhapurs that were never "patented".

You are right David,

Keris makers (not only today) they are making new keris with old dhapurs. But every keris maker has their own style. Empu Jaka Supo's style of making sengkelat dhapur, for instance, is different with Pangeran Sendang Sedayu although they were from the same era (Majapahit). Or Ki Guling's style with Ki Nom in the Mataram era. Can people patent the style of making the same dhapur?

And in many aspects, keris making is a collective art. Almost no single keris maker can claim that he is the owner of the copyright. In the process of keris making, there is pande and panjak (helpers), the empu. And the sheath? The hilts? The mendak (rings) and pendok? All are specialized.

Maybe this is not a correct analogy: even autocar today cannot claim by a single company. Almost all the parts come from specialized company. I think
it's too complicated to think about patent on keris..

[Raden Usman Djogja]

Gonjo,

Give me time till monday or tuesday to post urubing damar pictures. I do this reply at home. To upload is easier from my pc in the office.

As I know, there are thousand patents inside a single car. Perhaps, even with identical-end Keris shape/dhapur but using different process, the keris smith is able to patent it. He has a right to patent his specific process while "the shape/dhapur" belongs to somebody else (even anonym).

I think for Empus, recognition is very important (first priority) and money follows behind (second, tenth or last priority). The problem is, Empus hesitate to champaign for himself. To patent is a part of selfcampaign. What Empus want is people recognizing Empu automatically. Unfortunately, modern system doesnt provide their preference. Now, they live not in Majapahit era. Some approaches must be changed by themselves or by people who care them.

By having open recognition, the Kerissmith/Empu innovation will grow day by day. It does not matter if after that, business as usual in Indonesia, so many unresponsible men recopy it without any permission.

If I am not mistaken, by receiving a certain award from UN bodies, such as intagible heritage for Keris by Unesco, there will be a certain nasional body (either governmental body, NGO or community group) supported/funded by UN bodies (Unesco). Which Indonesian Body has received that fund? I think it is interesting to propose (to the Indonesian Body which receiving Unesco Fund) to patent one of your collection on behalf of its creator (Sukamdi).

It is just my idea. Forget it soon if unrealistic.

Usmen

[David]

Yes Usmen, a car's parts have many patents, but car parts are not keris. Keris are works of art and spirit. I am sorry, but i have a hard time seeing exactly what the purpose of a patent would be. Would it stop others from copying the style? I doubt it if it is a desireable style. Many talented painters can copy a Picasso painting, but for those who study the art, few will be able to fool those who know or collect it. And if someone can make a copy of someones style so perfectly that even the experts can't tell then i would image that copy must be pretty damn good and every bit as collectable in it's own right as the original. No two keris will ever be exactly alike. Patents are for machine made things that can be exactly repeated again and again, not for works of art and personal expression.
This isn't to say that a smith who creates a new and imaginative form doesn't deserve credit and recognition. You don't need to patent something for that.
BTW Usmen, when you speak of "empus" who are you referring to. It is my understanding that those who can truly be called empu would number less than the fingers on a single hand. That is not to say that there aren't many very talented pandai, some perhaps with greater skills that some who held the title of empu. But i do understand that title as being a rather specific one.

[ganjawulung]

The world of painting, maybe the right analogy for keris, I agree with David. It is difficult to copy the style, even not patented. And I'm still thinking with Raden's statement that "to patent is a part of self-campaign.."

You know already, in the old days the authority of such campaign was not at the hand of the empus, but the king's will. So now there is a kind of "cultural gap" (I don't know the right term): who is the authority of such campaign now? The empu himself, the king? The president? If the King. Which king? King of Yogya? King of Solo? King of Mlalaysia?

About "certain amount of money" from the UN. What I've heard is: UN won't give the fund to a state which once had received such aid from the UN. In this matter, Indonesia had received certain amount of dollar from the UN three years before keris was announced as the intangible heritage.. from Indonesia. Three years before, wayang also recognized as the intangible heritage from Indonesia. Malaysia too. (If I'm not mistaken: mahyong. Pls correct me if I'm wrong). So? No money for whatever Indonesian keris body, SNKI, whatever. No money. Still complicated problem...

[A. G. Maisey]

I do not know what Indonesian patent law is like, but I do have a rough idea of how it operates in Australia.

Effectively, it is useless unless you are a multi million dollar organisation with a team of patent lawyers who are prepared to prosecute every infringement of that patent.

Patenting a design might be a nice idea, but firstly you need to very clearly identify what exactly it is that you are going to patent, and then ensuring that what you think you can patent can in fact be patented.

After you have spent a very considerable sum of money in securing your patent you then need to rigorously patrol the area of your patent and follow-up on every infringement, and prosecute where necessary.

Let's get serious.

Patenting is not for works of art that sell at relatively miniscule prices.

Patenting is for commercial ideas and undertakings where very big money, and very serious, very aggressive people are involved.

[Boedhi Adhitya]

Actually, there are some money for keris protection. There is also an Action Plan for Protection, Revitalization and Development of Indonesian Keris. But Unesco will not give the money until Indonesian government signed/ratified the Unesco's convention for protecting cultural heritage. The document is already in the secretary of states office, waiting to be passed to the DPR/parliament for ratification. SNKI has been trying very hard to push it, but as we all know, the bureaucracy work very slow, not even to consider the parliament's priority today. It is also worth to note that the fund would be considerably reduced, as Unesco is trying to tighten their budget now.

Today's kerismakers would be more concern to the low acceptance of newly made keris than to patenting the design. We all know that people would love the old blades more than the new ones. It is hard to sell the new keris 'as it is'. Irresponsible dealer (and makers too) would be artificially aging the blade, to make it look older. Many makers also trying very hard to copy the nem-neman (than making their own styles), as it is easier to sell to the inexperienced ones. So, it is easily understood that many makers, as Alan said, would like to keep their works and themselves anonymous, because once their works easily identified by the market (as a new blade, certainly), it will be harder for them to sell their works. Sukamdi is one among very small keris makers who enjoys the niche market of the new-keris collectors. Even so, only small amount of money go into his pocket, as the larger amount would go into the dealer's.

Actually, the real threat to keris culture is the popular misunderstanding that keris is a dukun's tool, and thus, an evil things. This misunderstanding amplified by massmedia such as TVs and movies, and keep alive by those who make living from it. This misunderstanding leads to two ends : 'keris avoidance', that is, peoples are reluctant to deal with keris/tosan aji, even if they inherit it. Other is the tendency of some religion leaders/priests, whom are lack of understanding, against the keris/tosan aji.