KERIS BANTEN

[ganjawulung]

If you enter the new museum of Jakarta -- The National Museum of Jakarta -- at Jalan Merdeka Barat (Merdeka Barat Avenue) on the 4th floor, you will see one elegant though simple form of keris, once belonged to Sultan Banten behind a big and thick glass-box. Very old-looking betok blade....

It is so fascinating to see the overall appearance. Simple, but very elegant. With a specific form of warangka, and "suasa" (mixture of gold and copper?) pendhok, hopefully it is Bantenese style too...

The hilt is also fascinating -- a wooden but un-carved hilt, with natural form. Or probably kind of "akar bahar" as Rick just posted in other thread? I don't know exactly what it is. What I know that it is simply beautiful...

Once again, I apologise to you all to deal with this "show and tell game" again...

GANJAWULUNG

[David]

Please don't apologize Ganja. While it is probably true that we will not unlock the deeper levels of keris understanding with the "game" of show and tell it is also imperative that we all get the chance to view and discuss as many keris as possible to help us on our way, especially when it is a rarer form like this one. It cannot replace hands on examinations, but it is better than nothing. My only regret is that we don't have detailed close-ups nor can we see the blade. But it sure looks really interesting anyway.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

My only regret is that we don't have detailed close-ups nor can we see the blade. But it sure looks really interesting anyway.

Thanks, David. The details of the keris are really fascinating -- no staining, but really naturally-beautiful. The dhapur is "puthut kembar" betok, a popular dhapur of twin hindhu-priest of probably "tangguh" Pajajaran.

Below, the view of the whole blade for you...

GANJAWULUNG

[David]

Thanks Ganja.
hmmm...i think i love this keris!

[BluErf]

I love the sheath!

[Rick]

I hope you will pardon me Ganjawulung, I just had to see it larger .
Beautiful !

[ganjawulung]

No problem at all, Rick, for the sake of our keris-knowledge. I know, you notice much on the "akar bahar" hilt. So here is more close ups on both sides of the hilt and lower part of the puthut-kembar keris...

GANJAWULUNG

[Sajen]

Dear Pak Ganjawulung,

is the blade also picit? I may to see this on your pictures.

sajen

[Rick]

Thanks so much Ganjawulung .
I have no idea what that material is; I do know the form is a natural for a hilt; almost as if Nature had intended it to be .

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Rick

Thanks so much Ganjawulung .
I have no idea what that material is; I do know the form is a natural for a hilt; almost as if Nature had intended it to be .

Maybe the hilt is from very old and patinated deer horn.

sajen

[BluErf]

Thanks for sharing Ganjawulung, but one question - the keris blade itself looked rather newish. And for a museum in Java, it seems rare that the keris is out of stained, and in a polished state (ok, it has some rust).

How does the museum know it is an authetic old keris? Also, come to think about it, the sheath is in immaculate condition; very crisp. who had preserved the wood so well before the acquisition by the museum?

Just some questions out of my own curiosity.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Sajen

is the blade also picit? I may to see this on your pictures.

In Malaysian term, yes, it has pichit, or 'pijetan' in Jawa. But we called too, "luk samun" (or 'secret waves' if you notice the blade at frontal view, actually this 'lurus' or straight blade is a blade with luks or waves -- usually 13-15 luks...). Next-time I would show you that "pichit" or "pijetan" or "pejetan" is a form of luks from frontal view.)

Originally Posted by Rick

I have no idea what that material is; I do know the form is a natural for a hilt; almost as if Nature had intended it to be .

Now I'm thinking as Sajen just told us, whether it was made of deer-horn, and not from "akar bahar"....

Originally Posted by BluErf

Thanks for sharing Ganjawulung, but one question - the keris blade itself looked rather newish. And for a museum in Java, it seems rare that the keris is out of stained, and in a polished state (ok, it has some rust).

How does the museum know it is an authetic old keris? Also, come to think about it, the sheath is in immaculate condition; very crisp. who had preserved the wood so well before the acquisition by the museum?

Just some questions out of my own curiosity.

I don't think so, BluErf. If you compare to other "Pajajaran' blade, or later blade of Cirebon era, than you will 'feel' the same feeling from handling the keris. And I believe, it is original, true old keris.

National Museum is not a young museum at all. It used to be called as Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, or The Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences. And was build or estabished by Governor General of The Netherlands East-Indies Council, Reinier de Klerk on 24th of April 1778. You will admire to see old but still looked very well maintained collection of this museum -- and of course, the "sister" Tropen museum in Amsterdam...

I have asked the museum's curator, why don't they stain the kerises? They said, they threat to keep the kerises the way they preserve old collection, with some certain solution...

Many fascinating old kerises are still kept in this old museum of Jakarta, and AFAIK in Amsterdam too...

GANJAWULUNG

[Amuk Murugul]

Originally Posted by BluErf

Thanks for sharing Ganjawulung, but one question - the keris blade itself looked rather newish. And for a museum in Java, it seems rare that the keris is out of stained, and in a polished state (ok, it has some rust).

How does the museum know it is an authetic old keris? Also, come to think about it, the sheath is in immaculate condition; very crisp. who had preserved the wood so well before the acquisition by the museum?

Just some questions out of my own curiosity.

Hullo everybody,

Ganjawulung, perhaps it would've helped if you had explained that staining was not a traditional Soenda custom. This only started to become fashionable after the beginning of the 17th. C., when the Soenda (except Banten & Cirebon) had little choice but to become part of Mataram (Islam). A lot of Djawa culture then began to enter the Soenda culture, usually brought back by Soenda ruling class who had 'served their time' in Mataram.(e.g. the Gamelan is a prime example).

If the keris is a kadaton heirloom, then it was likely returned by the Dutch. Kadaton kerises disappeared after the dissolution of the Banten Sultanate. Some came to be in the possession of Chinese merchants. Others were already in Dutch museums.

Best,

[A. G. Maisey]

Thanks for posting this Pak Ganja.

Interesting indeed.

I have not been in Jakarta since 1978.

In 1976 I visted the old Musium Pusat, which I believe is now the National Musium.I photographed every keris that was on display. A check of those 30+ year old photos does not seem to show this keris. So let's assume it was in storage at that time --- either that or I missed ir, but frankly, I doubt that I did.

So Pak Ganja, my questions are these:-

do we know which Sultan of Banten owned this keris?

do we know when the Museum acquired this keris?

do we have provenance for this keris?

Indeed, a very interesting piece.

[David]

Indeed, Alan has asked one question i have been meaning to ask; which Sultan of Banten:
http://su.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasultanan_Banten

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

Indeed, Alan has asked one question i have been meaning to ask; which Sultan of Banten:
http://su.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasultanan_Banten

Actually that was what I wanted to tell you too, David. I promise I will provide the more complete informations on that. (Still searching my handwriting notes on that).

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I have not been in Jakarta since 1978.

In 1976 I visted the old Musium Pusat, which I believe is now the National Musium.I photographed every keris that was on display. A check of those 30+ year old photos does not seem to show this keris. So let's assume it was in storage at that time --- either that or I missed ir, but frankly, I doubt that I did.

So Pak Ganja, my questions are these:-

do we know which Sultan of Banten owned this keris?

do we know when the Museum acquired this keris?

do we have provenance for this keris?

Indeed, a very interesting piece.

The old Museum, AFAIK has not changed much. Still as in 1970-s, except the monitoring cameras in almost every corners of the "khasanah emas" (gold treasury) in the 2nd floor in the old museum and 4th floor in the new museum just next to the old building -- and the prohibition warnings of taking photos, except with very special written permission from the Museum Department.

Fortunately, I was having a special permision for taking pictures on 5 (five) selected kerises last year -- including this Sultan Banten's keris -- and for publishing the pictures for non-commercial but cultural purpose during the Keris Exhibition in Bentara Budaya Jakarta on August 2008.

So, if you want to take any photo of the museum collection, then you must have written permission from your institution, and must mention which pieces -- one by one -- you want to photography. The process takes days of permission by phone. Then, if you have the agreed time to take the photos, it needs some more certain conditions such as: (1) the photo-session must be witnessed by the head of the Anthropological Departement of the Museum, (2) witnessed by the head of Archeological Dept of the Museum, (3) witnessed by the Museum security during the photo session, (4) the museum official will take for you the pieces one by one, not altogether -- it means that the worker of the museum will unclose the glass box, heavy glass box, and take the pieces you want, (5) you must wear special gloves from the museum to handle the kerises, (6) almost impossible to take photo without sufficient digital apparels, because of the gloomy lignt in the museum -- and prohibited to take the pieces outside the museum, except with very very special permission from the state for a special exhibition.

So, it was almost impossible for me to take the whole collection (tens, or even hundred pieces of kerises) of the museum, even by snapshot. The glass will reflect your own face. And the security camera behind you will always watch you at anytime... And not all the kerises are unsheated -- like the examples below (some closed kerises, but fortunately, I have permission to see one or two of them unsheated)...

Anyway, later I will provide the more complete informations on what you have asked... Thanks for the response

Originally Posted by Amuk Murugul

Ganjawulung, perhaps it would've helped if you had explained that staining was not a traditional Soenda custom. This only started to become fashionable after the beginning of the 17th. C., when the Soenda (except Banten & Cirebon) had little choice but to become part of Mataram (Islam). A lot of Djawa culture then began to enter the Soenda culture, usually brought back by Soenda ruling class who had 'served their time' in Mataram.(e.g. the Gamelan is a prime example).

If the keris is a kadaton heirloom, then it was likely returned by the Dutch. Kadaton kerises disappeared after the dissolution of the Banten Sultanate. Some came to be in the possession of Chinese merchants. Others were already in Dutch museums.

Best,

Yes Amuk, staining is not this museum's tradition too. They are preserving the kerises with the more specific as preserving old and precious museum collection... Yes, some of the heirlooms, came from Dutch authority in the Netherland, from the Dutch museums... Including one of the most famous "Ken Dedes" statue (Pradnjaparamita) from Singasari era, once belonged to Rijkmuseum in Holland...

GANJAWULUNG

[A. G. Maisey]

A bit of a different situation to that which prevailed back in the 1970's, Pak Ganja.

I visited the museum many times prior to my last Jakarta visit in 1978, and I took many photographs.

Of course, the keris and other objects I photographed were not taken out of the display cases, but I had no great difficulty in taking photos through the glass. I was using a Nikon F with standard 50mm lens at that time, and 200ASA film. The images are not perfect, but they're pretty good --- certainly good enough to identify individual keris.

This prohibition on taking photos in museums seems to be widespread these days. Everywhere I go I see the signs, and as a general rule I ignore those signs. If there is somebody standing near you can't take a pic, but if there is not --- what can they do?

It will be quite interesting to learn the background of that keris.

[ganjawulung]

Thanks Alan,
And of course, it is impossible too to make pictures like these photos, without unsheating the keris, or uncover the glass box of the keris....

Anyway, thanks for your response

GANJAWULUNG

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, of course. These are much better pics than mine. What I have is not pics of each separate item, but groups of items, taken through glass. Still, more than adequate to allow identification of individual items.