Antique kris collections on view in Jakarta

Antique kris collections on view in Jakarta

By Tobias Glucksman
and Jason Tejasukmana

JAKARTA (JP): Hidden amongst the lights, flags, fanfare and
festivities of Indonesia's fifty years of independence, another
equally solemn, relatively unheralded celebration of the kris
(traditional dagger) is taking place at the BRI II building on
Jl. Sudirman.

For the newcomer to the world of the kris, or for those
Indonesians who find profound meaning in the kris'
craftsmanship, beauty and magic, this collection of daggers --
spanning twelve centuries (8th to present) -- may be an
unprecedented opportunity to view such a diverse, high quality
collection of these works of art.

The kris on sale come from various private collections and
will be on sale until Sept. 5. Prices start around Rp 650,000 and
range in price up to Rp 15 million, though the average is around
Rp 2 million. A certain, unspecified percentage of each sale
will be donated to the Yayasan Sekar Melati, a children's
charity.

The exhibition begins as the doors to the elevator open on the
30th floor to the Enteos Club and to a massive six-foot
ornamental kris, encased in glass, which easily dwarfs the
remaining pieces in the exhibition. The shear magnitude, detail
and glitter of precious metals and gems incorporated into the
dagger forewarns, or reminds, visitors that the world of the
kris, which they have just entered, is one of power,
significance and beauty.

Within the Enteos Club, one is overcome again, this time by
the array of high-quality daggers on display, their diverse
aesthetic styles and the many regions from which they have been
gathered.

Perhaps as many as a hundred kris are being shown. Some have
straight blades, said by some to represent the sarpa tapa, or
snake in meditation, while other curved blades have as many as
twenty-seven whips, said to represent the sarpa lumaku, or snake
in movement. Some have highly ornamental sheaths and handles made
from gold laden in precious gems, while others are carved in
sandalwood, mangowood or teak.

Each kris, regardless of style or technique, seems to have
its own magical identity. At the center of this identity is
undoubtedly the asymmetrical blade and its distinctive patterns
achieved by the alternating lamination of iron and nickel (often
as many as sixty four times).

The curator of the exhibit explained that there were thirty
three distinct parts to each kris blade, each with its own name.
Though the style and patterns of the blade help determine a
work's significance, there are actually several visual and
spiritual aspects of a kris which determine its true worth:
origin, age, intactness, workmanship, shape, the quality of the
iron, steel and the iron alloy used in the blade as well as its
history and the rituals performed during its construction.

Though the history of most kris are perhaps known only by
their owners, the short history provided for one smaller kris
with a simple sandalwood handle exemplifies the weight a dagger's
past can add to present stature. Apparently this smaller sized
two-patterned kris called tirto teja is made specifically for a
royal Javanese woman. The owner, after marrying a non-Javanese
man, felt compelled to relinquish it to another Javanese woman.
Today, the dagger is thought to hold great spiritual powers;
perhaps partly due to its past owners' fidelity to custom.

Another kris on exhibit, the Pusaka Senar, demonstrates the
diverse aesthetic styles and meanings which have developed in
kris craftsmanship. This dagger is molded into the shape of a
clown from the Wayang story. The clown design, however,
represents a personification of the one God above all other
deities. This kris is said to have great mystical power.

An added bonus at the exhibition is an area devoted to
explaining the process involved in making a kris. To help
clarify the technical process, Empu Subandi, one of five
remaining kris craftsmen in Solo, is also available to answer
questions.

Empu Subandi explained that it takes about three weeks to make
a kris blade (bila/wilah); roughly similar lengths of time are
required to make the sheath (warangka) and handle (hulu).

"In creating a kris which will hold powers, though, the owner
must begin work on his kris only on a certain day in accordance
with his birthday, and only during a certain moon," Empu Subandi
explained.

"The process of adding power to a kris can take place over a
lifetime and it involves very special ceremonies of fasting and
mediation," he added. "During each ceremony more power is added
to the kris."

Empu Subandi explained that the blades which he made on
regular basis today might sell for as much as Rp 1.5 million when
complete. An antique kris of good quality, which also is
believed to hold powers, might sell for as much as Rp 30 million.

Although he knows how to craft kris blades, Empu Subandi
noted that the other components, such as the mendak (the metal
part between the handle and blade), the ganja (the base of the
blade), the handle and sheath are typically made by other
specialized craftsmen, or empu, the Javanese title given to an
artist of masterful talent.

The kris exhibition will remain at the Enteos Club until
September 5; afterwards, those daggers which have not been sold
will be moved to a first floor shop in the Hotel Ambhara near
Blok M.

Auction preview

Kris enthusiasts will also have a chance to see a preview of
Indonesian and Malaysian kris (with estimates ranging from S$500
- $2000) from European collections this weekend at the Summit
Room in the Jakarta Convention Center.

Singapore-based Gavel's Auctioneers will hold a public
exhibition of 52 kris and 21 pieces of antique Yogyakarta silver
this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m to 8 p.m, after which time
the exhibit will move to Singapore. The collection, which also
includes fine jewelry, pocket watches and wrist watches, will be
auctioned in Singapore on Sept.2 at the Shangri-La Hotel. Fully
illustrated catalogs will also be available.