Inlaid Kris and Punang

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Wayan

Rick, you wrote, “Blawong is what the Javanese call these wall mounted keris holders and the one you have pictured with your Bali keris is of Javanese origin.”

I love learning something new every day, but I never heard the term “blawong” nor does the term appear in my bahasa Indonesia dictionary.

As for this wall mount for a kris being Javanese, that is most interesting, as in fact it was personally carved by a very Bali Balinese, Pande Retug, who serious Indonesian kris collectors will immediately recognize his name. He carved two of these for me some four years ago, and only because I asked. You can caulk that up to just another “Asian thingy.”

Motifs Java, and motifs Bali are very often confused and misunderstood. These misconceptions and inaccuracies have even made their way into Western published books, so now, here in Bali, we are often against the wall trying to change what all too often is considered as “gospel.”

In the end, so long as we keep our heads clear, it doesn’t really matter what “Urban Legends” are written about Bali. Bali belongs to the Balinese, and clearly, the Gods see that “as a good thing.”

Finally, you wrote, “ASCII can be very hard to interpret.” Indeed. And for me, impossible, as I have no clue what ASCII is.

Adios .