Just to say hello
 

Hello, my name is Wayan and I live in Ubud, Bali. I collect old Bali kris, topeng and kain and I just found this forum. My uncle is a well known pande, so over time, I guess I will have lots to offer, I hope on the topic of Bali kris.

It’s not so able for me to get internet time, and I am usually busy with our temple, but I think this forum is very good.

Welcome Wayan ...
 

Look forward to seeing your comments here.

Ian.

Welcome to the forum, Wayan. I hope you enjoy our active keris community. :)

Mark

Welcome Wayan. I will be very interesting in seeing what you have to offer. :)

Greetings Wayan!

We get a number of Keris from Bali and Lombok here on the forum... looking forward to your comments. :)

Really like your Avatar... Bayu, isn't it?

Wayan,

Welcome to the forum. We are ancious to learn from you and hope to see a lot of wonderful pictures

Wayan,
I am not a kris person, but would like to welcome you here. Hope to learn a lot from you.

Welcome
I am anticipating for your keris pictures and knowledge

Many thanks for the kind welcome wagon! Yes, our avatar is a gold hilt from Klungkung of the God of the wind, Batara Bayu. Batara Bayu is among the most popular of Balinese figural hilts.

I will post some kris from our collection as soon as I can find the time. Again, many thanks. This is a very impressive and active forum. Whoever put this forum together deserves lots of selamats!

Another welcome
 

Hi Wayan
just another welcome to the forum, I am in the process of reading some essays on Balinese culture and there is much to admire there. I look forward to your photos
DrD

Hello Wayan: I was in Ubud last weekend and managed to see the Pura Desa festival on the 18th.

Unfortunately, I did not see any really good Balinese kris when I was there other than the tourist kris they were selling in that store next to Lotus Cafe.

Is it true that Bali kris nowadays are made in Klungkung but primarily for the tourist market? Not many people in Ubud were able to tell me much about the kris.

Well, it’s too bad we didn’t meet before now on this forum. If we had, I could have taken you to two Balinese kris specialists that only have authentic and old examples. Maybe on your next trip to Bali?

There are only two Empu on Bali that are active making kris by order. I guess those words, “making kris by order” is deceptive, as it makes this process seem like ordering furniture, or a new car. Well, that is not what I meant at all.

When a Balinese goes to an Empu for a kris, there is about three or four days of very serious conversation....deeper than anyone would get with their physiatrist, as the Empu only wants to make the kris most suitable for the owner. When done properly, and with all the ceremony and offerings necessary, that kris will become that person’s soul. In short, there is no point telling falsehoods to your Empu. A priest, maybe, an Empu, never.

As for reproduction kris, or kris for display or fun, the best are currently being made in Madura, an island off the coast of northeast Java, just west of Bali. If, in the many markets in Bali you come upon a kris, it was almost certainly made in Madura.

Pusaka, or heirloom kris are never found in common markets, nor are they to be found in the majority of antiques shops in Bali, and most especially, those who advertise, “antiques made to order!”

The truth be told, for most Balinese, selling a Pusaka kris is an economic “last resort.” Since the last bombing, in October, 2005, tourism, which is the life blood for way too many Balinese, has all but vanished. It’s getting a little better, now that we are coming into peak season, but it is nothing like it was just a few years ago. This economic hardship has caused many Balinese to face the terrible reality of selling heirloom, or pusaka pieces that have been in their family for untold generations.

And that is the very sad reality that I see almost every day.

Selamat datang Pak Wayan!

Pak Wayan, I wish to complement you upon your most excellent English.

Although I have a 40 year association with Indonesia, never have I met any Indonesian who writes English as well as you do.

My guess is that you you have spent considerable time in an English speaking country? Possibly you went to university in Australia?

When next I visit Indonesia, I promise I will let you know and perhaps we can meet up.

I hope you enjoy your stay as a member of this Forum.

I never realized that the effects of bombing were so awful from the economic point of view and that they affected so many people. The loss of life was terrible, that much I knew, and the effect on the families of victims is too horrible to imagine. But, I guess, the effect on tourist industry and on the rest of the population must have been way worse than we could guess.
My sympathies....

Nicely put Ariel.

Actually, he's an American ex-pat, as I understand it (I expect this was your subtle way of pointing that out, but I'm a pretty unsubtle guy ;)). I probably shouldn't be wasting the bandwidth on him, but given recent "unpleasantness" it seems to me important that its very clear what was going on.

It reminds me of an exchange long ago on another forum about a katana with a polish that "shone to the heavens," and its seller who blustered about offence to his ancient family honor, etc., when someone noted that it was a Paul Chen with a so-so polish. Turned "he" was a woman living in (I think) New Jersey. ;)