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#1 |
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,857
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The National Gallery in Canberra is currently hosting an exhibition entitled:-
Crescent Moon, Islamic Art and civilization in South East Asia. Here is a link:- http://www.nga.gov.au/CrescentMoon/ I strongly recommend anybody able to get to this venue to attend. The exhibits cover a number of fields, and there are a limited number of edged weapons exhibited, however, those on display are some of the most famous and most photographed of all South East Asian weaponry. Speaking for myself I would have felt more than amply rewarded for my 6 hour return journey and $18 admission if only one of the weapons exhibited had been on display. In my opinion nobody who is able to get to this exhibition should miss it. If you are unable to attend, you could consider purchase of the catalogue, which is a beautifully produced large format book, with excellent photographs, and contributions by well known authors. I do not have any connection with the National Gallery, nor with this exhibition and its organisers. |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,725
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Thanks for the link, Alan. Sounds like a great exhibition. This is particularly beautiful. What did the blade look like?
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,857
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The blade was not revealed.
Only one weapon had the blade shown, and that was possibly the only one which definitely should not have had the blade on open display:- Si Ginjei, a pusaka of the Jambi Sultanate.Oh yes, there was one other, a tombak. My personal stance on the display of blades which are known to have had, or continue to have a pusaka role is that it is perhaps best not to display these blades to the general public. Display of an art work, display of a blade that has no known or suspected pusaka role, well, that is one thing. Public display of a pusaka, whether one from the past, or a one that is still regarded as fulfilling that function, I regard as at the very least a thing of extreme bad taste. The focus of the display of weapons was on the art of the dress, which in all pieces on display, was superb. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,712
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I am wondering, What is pusaka?
Spiral |
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 940
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Great link Alan, thanks. If only i lived close enough to attend...
![]() I realize this isn't your first post, but welcome to the forum. I look forward to your participation and insight. ![]() |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,857
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The word "pusaka" can have a number of separate, but related meanings, dependent upon the context in which it is used. It can be an heirloom, an inheritance, a ricefield that has been owned by one family for a number of generations, or it can be the physical object that links the current custodian of the pusaka to his forebears and to other living members of his kin group.
A pusaka need not necessarily be an item of wesi aji, such as keris, tombak, or pedang, but can be anything physical , such as a rice cooking pot, a saddle, or even a place of worship or of burial. In Jawa prior to Kartasura, possession of the royal pusakas was held to be necessary to legitimise the right of the ruler to rule, however, disruption of the realm during the Kartasura era demonstrated that a ruler could indeed hold power in the absence of the royal pusakas. Even though this was shown to be the case, the royal pusakas can still be regarded as symbols of power. Something I wrote several years ago gives a more in depth understanding of the the idea of "pusaka" as applied to the keris. This link will take you to this article:- http://www.kerisattosanaji.com/KERISANDNAGA.html |
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#7 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,725
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Outstanding. Thanks again.
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,857
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I thank you for having the patience to read what I have written.
Sometimes I use too many words to convey comparatively simple concepts. |
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#9 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,896
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Hi Alan,
It's great to see you posting!!! ![]() Believe me your words can never be too many, and it is wonderful for you to share the knowledge that you have acquired over so many years of tenacious study . I hope you'll keep writing, and thank you for keeping us posted on events there. All the very best, Jim |
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#10 |
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,857
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Thank you Jim, and thank you also to all those people who have welcomed me both publicly in this Forum , and privately by email.
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#11 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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Yes thank you very much. The link and pamphet is amazing.
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#12 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,712
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Thankyou For the explanation Alan.
Spiral |
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