The endangered art of kris making<\/p>\n
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Kris making is becoming an endangered species in Java -- the land
\nof the dagger and a symbol of the Javanese mysticism.<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno Harumbrodjo, 75, is one of the (some even say the
\nonly) surviving empu, or the seasoned kris maker. Understandably,
\nwhile the demand for kris remains steady and the makers drop in
\nnumber, he is overwhelmed by the incoming orders.<\/p>\n
"I am really sorry but you have to wait until the year 2006 to
\nget your kris done." he says when asked when a kris that one
\norders now will be ready.<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno said he is the 15th generation descendant of Kyai
\nEmpu Tumenggung Supodriyo, a renowned kris maker of the Majapahit
\nkingdom in the 13th century. Under the Javanese belief, a real
\nkris craftsman is purely "hereditary".<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno used to need six months to make a kris.<\/p>\n
But now it is no exaggeration that Harumbrojo asks for three
\nyears to complete a single kris. The kris that he makes is no
\nordinary one: it is one that has spiritual power and thus the job
\nrequires not only a skill but also intricate process and rituals.<\/p>\n
This is what makes his works different from "toy kris" sold in
\nshops as souvenirs to tourists.<\/p>\n
His old age is a major obstacle, of course. He lost much of
\nhis physical agility and he is not as energetic as he was in his
\nyouth. Now, he has to delegate more and more of his job to his
\neldest son Sungkowo Harumbrojo, a civil servant and his heir
\napparent.<\/p>\n
Because he is already busy with his own routine job as a civil
\nservant Sungkowo has only Saturday and Sunday to take up his
\nfather's job.<\/p>\n
"I have become more and more dependent on my son for my job,"
\nEmpu Djeno said. "He does all the physical labor and I do all the
\nspiritual aspects."<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno said spiritual rites were needed right from the
\nplanning to the presentation of the finished kris. They are
\nneeded to know the right day to begin making kris, to calculate
\nthe composition of materials.<\/p>\n
To design the pamor and tangguh (model and motive) is another
\ncomplicate job. Empu Djeno has so far designed 200 motives.<\/p>\n
There have been no books dealing with kris motives and Empu
\nDjeno has to know them by heart.<\/p>\n
"The kris maker has to be physically and spiritually clean to
\nbe able to concentrate on what he is doing," he said.<\/p>\n
Like his ancestors, Empu Djeno has to undergo a series of
\nspiritual activities before he makes a kris, such as making
\nofferings and fasting.<\/p>\n
"There are a host of taboos that I may not break, such as
\nmaking a kris on my and my client's birthday, or on the days of
\nmy parents' deaths. There could be four of those taboo days in a
\nmonth and now the job is even more time-consuming because it is
\ndone only on Saturdays and Sundays," he said.<\/p>\n
Offerings have to be prepared four times in the course of the
\nkris making: when the job is about to begin, to forge the metal,
\nto plate it and to bathe it. They consist of a rice cone, fruit
\nand snacks.<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno recalled strange things that happened after he
\nforgot to prepare offerings for each step, such as the metal he
\nput on the 1,300 Celsius degree ember did not glow let alone
\nsoften.<\/p>\n
He learned the art of kris making as he was a child but he
\ntook it as a profession only in 1974.<\/p>\n
His clients come from as far as the Netherlands and have
\ndifferent backgrounds: common people, soldiers and senior
\ngovernment officials.<\/p>\n
In 1984 and 1985, Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX had a
\nkris made from a meteor -- a job that he saw as a token of
\nrecognition from the sultan.<\/p>\n
His most prestigious honor is probably the Mahaputra Award
\nthat President Megawati Soekarnoputri presented him in August in
\nrecognition of his dedication to kris making.<\/p>\n
Empu Djeno is now too weak and fragile to lift his hammer and
\nto withstand the heat that his stove emanates. He hangs high
\nhopes on his son Sungkowo to step into his shoes and keep the
\nspirit aflame.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-endangered-art-of-kris-making-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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