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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
I find this to be intensely interesting information. In the sense of the question that generated your response we must accept "old" in this context as dating from the time of the Mataram Era. This era stretched over a considerable period, but if we date it from , for example, the time of Sultan Agung, we are talking circa 1640.
Is this how you intend your response to be understood, or are we looking at a slightly different date?
Whatever date we are taking as the date that would apply to the time of the "old schools", would you please be so kind as provide a reference?
Even if that reference is to come from an oral tradition, can you link that oral tradition to a person or source that predates, say, 1800?
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Dear Alan and all,
On periodisation, there is no one word between “solo school” and “jogja school” to fix which was the “fixed pole” period of “nom-noman” or “nem-neman” (young period of keris making), until nowadays. You may look at these recent keris-book writers such as Bambang Harsrinuksmo and Haryono Haryoguritno for instance.
Haryono – which I consider as “solo school” – mentioned in his recent book (Keris Jawa, Antara Mistik dan Nalar) that “keris kuno” (old keris) is keris from 17th century and older, while “nom-noman” is keris from 18th (and of course, younger than 18th century). He based this periodisation on the process of the keris making.
Old kerises, according to Mr Haryono, had a different phase of purification of bijih besi. The younger keris is made from such material which its bijih besi was processed by “tanur tinggi” (please consider this technical term, which I only know the Indonesian term). So the periodisation is not based on historical background, but on the making of kerises.
While Mr Harsrinuksmo – which I consider neither “solo school” or “jogja school” – said in his known Ensiklopedi, that keris which categorized as nom-noman is based on period of era in history. May I quote from his book, as this:
“In Surakarta, which classified as kerises nom-noman are kerises or tombak (spears) which were made during the reigning of Sunan Paku Buwono IX and X. While in Jogjakarta, Hamengku Buwono VII and VIII.”
As you know, PB IX reigned in Solo 1861-1893, and PB X 1893-1939. While Sultan Jogja, HB VII 1877-1921, and HB VIII 1921-1939…
Which classification would you use? I don’t have such credible knowledge, which source from 1800s. I just based on my simple knowledge on historical periodisation. Old school “ended” in Majapahit era, and then “madya” (medium old) era of Demak, Pajang, Mataram until Gianti Treaty of 1755. After 1755, then began the “new era” of “nom-noman”. Keris, for me is not just keris. But it bears also the inside value, moral value etc. And those values, changed quite radically for the Javanese community, since the treaty was signed by Nicholaas Hartingh – on behalf of Mataram Surakarta and the European Company VOC – and Pangeran Mangkubumi. The Javanese values were changing so much since…
Ganjawulung