Keris Kamardikan

[A. G. Maisey]

All education costs Anthony. It mostly costs money, and that is not so bad, because money can always be replaced, when the education costs honour or reputation, that is much worse than just costing a bit of money.

Its not only "sharp eyes" that help me Anthony, it is the fact that I have been given the benefit of the best education possible in keris:- Empu Suparman, Empu Pauzan Pusposukadgo, and more than 40 years of buying keris in Indonesia. This sort of experience takes a long time, and good teachers to acquire.

It is correct and normal to apply kinatah before doing the warangan.

Personally I would hesitate to refer to any current Madurese keris maker as an "empu". Pande keris perhaps, if he was doing the forge work as well as the cold work, but not empu. True empus are very few and far between.

In any case, even though you are not particularly happy with the result, you have managed to obtain a truly rare and beautiful pamor. Pure art. If you had not ordered it, you might have waited a lifetime to even see this pamor.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

It is correct and normal to apply kinatah before doing the warangan.

Personally I would hesitate to refer to any current Madurese keris maker as an "empu". Pande keris perhaps, if he was doing the forge work as well as the cold work, but not empu. True empus are very few and far between.

In any case, even though you are not particularly happy with the result, you have managed to obtain a truly rare and beautiful pamor. Pure art. If you had not ordered it, you might have waited a lifetime to even see this pamor.

Thanks for sharing about the process on warangan and application of gold process. The maker said that he can re-craved the lion after the application of gold again. I am not sure how he can do it since there is no more metal left for craving. Hopefully the result will be finalise and acceptable.

Your msg. finally let me realised what is true definition of empu. Thank you.

[A. G. Maisey]

Anthony, I do not know how you envisage the tail, but if it requires more metal, that metal can be added with a little bit of electric weld, and the weld line can be covered with the gold. If this is what the maker intends to do, it will decrease the integrity of the work.

If this keris belonged to me, I would accept the maker's interpretation of the tail, even though it does not agree with your own ideas of what it should be.

When we engage an artist to produce a work of art, we might give him an idea of what we want, but we must accept his judgement and interpretation of the subject. A client does not have the right to dictate artistic endeavour to an artist.

In the past I did a lot of custom knife work, I would accept an order and then I would produce the finished product in line with the way I interpreted the client's wishes, once the job was done, it would be the best I could do, but if the client did not like the work and he asked me to alter it in accordance with his own ideas of what he thought was right, I would return any payment he had made and most politely tell him to go take a running jump. In my book, clients accept the work of the artist, they do not tell the artist how to do the job.

Once we start to fiddle with detail in a finished work we run the very real risk that the quality of the existing work will be impaired.

Get them to do better quality kinatah, certainly, but I most sincerely advise against any alterations to the carving that has already been done --- your disappointment could very easily increase rather than decrease.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Anthony, I do not know how you envisage the tail, but if it requires more metal, that metal can be added with a little bit of electric weld, and the weld line can be covered with the gold. If this is what the maker intends to do, it will decrease the integrity of the work.

If this keris belonged to me, I would accept the maker's interpretation of the tail, even though it does not agree with your own ideas of what it should be.

When we engage an artist to produce a work of art, we might give him an idea of what we want, but we must accept his judgement and interpretation of the subject. A client does not have the right to dictate artistic endeavour to an artist.

In the past I did a lot of custom knife work, I would accept an order and then I would produce the finished product in line with the way I interpreted the client's wishes, once the job was done, it would be the best I could do, but if the client did not like the work and he asked me to alter it in accordance with his own ideas of what he thought was right, I would return any payment he had made and most politely tell him to go take a running jump. In my book, clients accept the work of the artist, they do not tell the artist how to do the job.

Once we start to fiddle with detail in a finished work we run the very real risk that the quality of the existing work will be impaired.

Get them to do better quality kinatah, certainly, but I most sincerely advise against any alterations to the carving that has already been done --- your disappointment could very easily increase rather than decrease.

Hi Alan, I am also concern how the maker going to do adjustment on the leg/tail since the work is completed ( craving).I will do likewise as what you have advice and ask him not to do any adjustment work. Thank you for your sound advice as always.

[A. G. Maisey]

You are welcome, Anthony.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by Anthony G.

Hi Alan, I am also concern how the maker going to do adjustment on the leg/tail since the work is completed ( craving).I will do likewise as what you have advice and ask him not to do any adjustment work. Thank you for your sound advice as always.

The revised of kinatah (modern) work with improvement on the hind leg coating, and the completion of the keris.

[Battara]

It may not be too traditional, but I LIKE it!!

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by Battara

It may not be too traditional, but I LIKE it!!

Yes, that is why is called "Kemardikan Surakarta". I tried to use my poor little knowledge on keris and do a Kemardikan keris, try to stick to tradition as much as possible. Even the keris metal material is recycled from old keris steel instead. Enjoy my friend.