Between Solo and Yogya

[A. G. Maisey]

I'm here Raden .

Guess everybody else is busy doing something important, but today I'm glued to the computater.

Maybe everybody is outside playing. Waste of time spending good days in front of a computer. I should raise my fees.

What's this "tombak lover" business?

Rather partial to tombakipuns myself, but I don't think I'd bill myself as a tombak lover. Too many clever people could make too many unfortunate remarks.

[Raden Usman Djogja]

hi Alan,

to clarify tombak/tombakipun that when I was in Jogja, I prefferred to buy spearheads rather than kerises. first, it was interested me since I knew a synonim of tombak was waos (tooth) while a synonim of keris was curigo (curious). second, it was cheaper than keris.

seemingly, I took a risk to tell about Mataram style of succession. So far, I dont have any motive but to say what I hear for the purpose of historical background in discussing "between Djokja and Solo" (and Mataram).

okay... to all kerislovers, it is time for us to upload tangguh Surakarta and Jogjakarta. please....

Usmen

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I'm here Raden .

Guess everybody else is busy doing something important, but today I'm glued to the computater.

Maybe everybody is outside playing. Waste of time spending good days in front of a computer. I should raise my fees.

What's this "tombak lover" business?

Rather partial to tombakipuns myself, but I don't think I'd bill myself as a tombak lover. Too many clever people could make too many unfortunate remarks.

[Raden Usman Djogja]

dear friends,

what kind of pamor do you think?
is it jogja or solo?

regards,
Usmen

[A. G. Maisey]

G'day Pak Usman

Personally, I have no preference between keris and tombak. The work involved in making a tombak is considerably less than in making a keris, but both can equally reflect the skill of the maker. Of all the Javanese wesi aji I have , possibly the finest piece is a tombak by Jayasukadgo; I was able to afford this, but I would have difficulty in affording a keris by the same maker.

In my experience, very few collectors in the western world appreciate the tombak . Which is a bit of a pity.

Yes, I understood that you were only telling a story when you wrote of the succession in Mataram, and honestly, it was quite interesting, but had I been in possession of this knowledge, I would probably not have chosen to make it available on the net.Such an act requires great bravery, which I do not possess.

That is a nice tombak you have shown a pic of. Would it be possible to do a photo that shows the metuk at a 90 degree angle, and another photo full length, so we can see the pawakan?

Alan.

[Raden Usman Djogja]

dear Alan,

May I open a new thread to focus the discussion on tombak. It may be less interesting to non-Indonesian. Even, amongst Indonesians, tombak is less attractive than keris.

However, it could be as a breakthrough for a "budget collector with budget constraint" like me. Keris is unaffordable since every collector wants to offer the highest bidding to occupy the best one. Keris market price was boomed by overseas collectors and by myths.

warm salam,
Usmen
ps. I assume if you dont respond in 3 minutes, it means you agree that I open a new thread for discussing tombak.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Raden Usman Djogja

dear Alan,

May I open a new thread to focus the discussion on tombak. It may be less interesting to non-Indonesian. Even, amongst Indonesians, tombak is less attractive than keris.

However, it could be as a breakthrough for a "budget collector with budget constraint" like me. Keris is unaffordable since every collector wants to offer the highest bidding to occupy the best one. Keris market price was boomed by overseas collectors and by myths.

warm salam,
Usmen
ps. I assume if you dont respond in 3 minutes, it means you agree that I open a new thread for discussing tombak.

Since Alan is probably sleeping as you post this Usman; would a Moderator's permission be sufficient ?

Rick

[Raden Usman Djogja]

Thank you very much, Rick

[cahaya]

Originally Posted by Raden Usman Djogja

dear friends,

what kind of pamor do you think?
is it jogja or solo?

regards,
Usmen

Hallo Mr. Usmen

can you sent pic close up/fokus at the pamor?
and like Bapak Allan to can we see "pawakan"/full pic tombak?

That is garap PB Mataram Surokarto?? (in my opinion for now)

thanks for sharing your pusoko

[Raden Usman Djogja]

dear Cahaya,

I have opened new thread T.O.M.B.A.K
Would you please to see there for additional images.

warm salam,
Usmen

[A. G. Maisey]

Pak Usmen, I tend to disagree with you that collectors outside of Indonesia are the ones who have driven keris prices up.

I have a very close friend in Solo who is possibly one of, if not the biggest wholesaler of quality wesi aji. The prices that he gets at a level where he is selling to other salesmen, are far in advance of anything that I could imagine collectors in the western world being willing to pay.

Truly top quality old keris achieve the best prices in Indonesia, not in New York, Paris, and London.

The generally held belief amongst the people I know is that the primary force in driving up prices on old top quality wesi aji was the rampant corruption in Indonesia that accelerated from the mid-1970's. I do not want to discuss this in public.

Incidentally, as Rick has pointed out, I hold no authority in this discussion group. For permission to commence a thread on a subject other than keris, the correct people to approach are Rick and David.

[David]

It has always been the intention that this forum would be open to the discussion of tombak as well as keris. Therefore no permission is necessary for anyone to open a thread about tombak.