Patience required to make traditional Javanese weapon

Patience required to make traditional Javanese weapon

By Ahmad Solikhan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Three men stood around the furnace holding
iron bars and chanting a mantra. Their hammers rang out as they
came down on the glowing iron bars with a clanging sound.

That was the scene in the house of Ki Empu Djeno Haroem
Brodjo, 70, in Gatak village, Yogyakarta. The house has been
turned into a blacksmith's workshop where krises, traditional
Javanese weapons, are forged.

Not everybody can make krises because it requires great
patience and an inner force. Brodjo, the son of Ki Empu
Supowinangoen, a descendant of Majapahit, is one of a select few
empu (master kris makers). He has taught the art at the
Indonesian Arts Institute since 1984.

Brodjo has been an empu for 55 years. His works are
collector's items in many countries, including the Netherlands,
the United States, France, Japan, Britain, Australia and Spain.
Many ambassadors and high-ranking government officials have also
acquired krises from his workshop.

The kris is a traditional Javanese weapon dating back to the
time of the ancient kingdoms on the island. Now many people
collect krises because of their cultural and artistic value.
However, some people believe certain krises have the magical
power to protect their owners from danger, and maintain the
position they have achieved in work and life.

The late Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX had two krises forged
by Brodjo. One of them was used to ensure the prosperity of
farmers and the other one was to help the sultan maintain his
title, rank and degree.

Brodjo said it took him two years to make the two krises
because they were filled with yoni (magic power). On average, he
needs about four months to forge an ordinary kris, usually
ordered as a collector's item.

Brodjo uses scrap iron from ships and bridges from Dutch
colonial times to forge his krises. He says the quality of the
scrap iron is better than that of present-day iron.

"When the iron is fired it softens quickly, making it easy to
mold," he said. The iron can be obtained at traditional markets
in Yogyakarta, Surakarta and Semarang for Rp 300 per kilogram. He
also inherited from his father 200 kgs of nickel from the
Netherlands. "(The nickel) has not been finished," he said.

The nickel is for the pamor (ornament) on the body of the kris
and to strengthen the iron itself. "If iron is mixed with nickel,
its strength is double that of steel," said Brodjo.

The iron is fired at temperatures above 1,100 degrees
centigrade and then forged with a hammer into long bars. The bars
are then split lengthwise as a sort of wrapper for the nickel.
Iron and nickel are then repeatedly heated while being forged
until the iron and nickel are completely blended.

To bring out the pamor, the long glowing iron bars mixed which
nickel are folded into layers while being continuously forged.

The process of folding the iron into layers is dependent on
the complexity of the shape of the pamor, which is unique to each
kris.

Then arsenic extract is spread onto the kris, giving it a
blackish color. This is done to bring out the pamor and to
prevent corrosion. Sandalwood oil is applied for its fragrance
before the completed kris is placed in its sheath.

To make one 200-gram kris, Brodjo requires a minimum of four
to 12 kgs of iron mixed with four to 12 grams of nickel.

Once every year magic krises must be washed. They are first
submerged in water with calamondin liquid before being bathed in
arsenic and sandalwood oil to ensure the power of the kris.

Brodjo forges magic krises by special request only, but there
is no difficulty ordering a kris which will be no more than a
collector's item. In the forging of kris, certain days must be
avoided because they are considered bad. These days are
calculated based on the Javanese calendar.

A souvenir kris with a bronze, copper or brass sheath costs
about Rp 3 million. A magic kris with a gold layer and jewels on
the sheath costs between Rp 50 million and Rp 100 million. If
silver is used instead of gold, the price is between Rp 6 million
and Rp 10 million.

"I don't know how much I make in an average month because I
don't do this for the money," said Brodjo, who often receives
orders for krises in the Mataram and Majapahit style.