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93-897: Currently, NAM is being managed by JMK Suteja Neka's son, PM Kardi Suteja. Pande Wayan Suteja Neka, was the son of I Wayan Neka, a famous wood carver who was a member of the Pitamaha . Suteja Neka's father I Wayan Neka (1917 - 1980), was a renowned carver. He is best known for creating a three-metre tall statue of the garuda bird for the Indonesia Pavilion at the New York World Fair in the United States of America in 1964, and another one for Expo 70 held in Osaka, Japan. Suteja Neka trained as an elementary school teacher but decided to give up teaching in order to help his father present his artwork. With

186-453: A Sundanese manuscript dated from Saka 1440 or 1518 AD, describes the kris as the weapon of kings, while the kujang is the weapon of farmers. There exist claims of earlier forms predating the Majapahit kris but none are verifiable. In the past, the majority of kris had straight blades but this became less frequent over time. Tomé Pires , in the early 16th century, describes the importance of

279-571: A 16 year old kris dancer was stabbed to death in his heart by his own kris, during a Rangda dance performance in Denpasar, Bali. In Javanese culture the kris is revered as tosan aji ( Javanese for "sacred heirloom weapon") and considered a pusaka . The kris is believed to have the ability to infuse bravery upon its holder: this property is known as piyandel in Javanese which means "to add self-confidence". The pusaka kris or kris-tipped spear given by

372-462: A Javanese keris blacksmith. The scene depicted Bhima as the blacksmith on the left forging the metal, Ganesha in the center, and Arjuna on the right operating the piston bellows to blow air into the furnace. The wall behind the blacksmith displays various items manufactured in the forge, including kris. These representations of the kris in the Candi Sukuh established the fact that by the year 1437

465-399: A Javanese king to nobles or his subjects, was meant to symbolize the king's confidence bestowed upon the receiver and is considered a great honor. During the Javanese wedding ceremony, a kris is required to be adorned with chains of jasmine flower arrangement as an important part of Javanese groom's wedding costume. The addition of jasmine arrangement around the kris was meant as a symbol that

558-465: A blade measuring between 15 and 50 in (38 and 127 cm) long, typically not sharpened as it is meant for stabbing and tearing, broader and asymmetric shape near the hilt, made of a combination of several kinds of metals. A kris's aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with around 150 variants), the pamor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 60 variants), and tangguh referring to

651-406: A depiction of human or demon; the carving works are exquisite and skillfully made. This Chinese account also reported that public execution by stabbing using this type of dagger is common. Majapahit knows no caning for major or minor punishment. They tied the guilty men's hands in the back with rattan rope and paraded them for a few paces, and then stabbed the offender one or two times in the back on

744-515: A fellow artist. One of his children, Kartika also became an artist. Affandi was born in 1907, in Cirebon. His father was R. Koesoemah. When he was a child, his father wanted him to be a doctor; however, Affandi was interested in drawing. In the 1950s, Affandi began to create expressionist paintings. The piece Carrying the First Grandchild (1953) marked his newfound style known as "squeezing

837-406: A jealous official, Hang Tuah was ordered to be executed, but he managed to escape and go into hiding with the help of a minister who knew the truth. Hang Tuah's kris and title of Laksamana (admiral) were passed on to his comrade Hang Jebat. Furious that his best friend was unfairly put to death, Hang Jebat rebelled against the royalty and took over the palace. The desperate ruler of Melaka pardoned

930-506: A kris empu should possess knowledge, technical skills and also spiritual prowess, since kris are believed to have physical and spiritual presence. This was meant to differentiate the masters from common pandai besi that mostly create common metal tools or peasant's weapons like parang or golok . In old Majapahit, a kris bladesmith was referred to as pande and all were reputed to be able to work hot iron with their bare hands. The people of Majapahit would eventually flee to Bali where

1023-556: A kris may have a blade from Java, a hilt from Bali and a sheath from Madura. ... every man in Java, whether he is rich or poor, must have a kris in his house ... and no man between the ages of 12 and 80 may go out of doors without a kris in his belt. They carry them at the back, as daggers used to be in Portugal ... In many parts of Indonesia and the Malacca Sultanate , the kris used to be

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1116-514: A man should not easily be angry, cruel, fierce, too aggressive, tyrannical and abusive. Kris-makers did more than forge the weapon, they carried out the old rituals which could infuse the blade with mystical powers. For this reason, kris are considered almost alive because they may be vessels of spirits, either good or evil. Legends tell of kris that could move of their own volition and killed individuals at will. Some kris are rumored to stand upright when their real names are called by their masters. It

1209-620: A museum in Indonesia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Affandi Affandi (18 May 1907 – 23 May 1990) was an Indonesian artist. Born in Cirebon , West Java , as the son of R. Koesoema, who was a surveyor at a local sugar factory, Affandi finished his upper secondary school in Jakarta . He gave up his studies to pursue his desire to become an artist. Beginning in 1934, Affandi began teaching himself how to paint. He married Maryati,

1302-469: A paint brush. In certain respects, he has acknowledged similarities with Vincent van Gogh . Like most of his Indonesian contemporaries, Affandi grew up largely cut off from the mainstream of modern art. It wasn't until the late 1930s that the first exhibitions of major Western artists – from Gauguin to Kandinsky and Picasso – were held in Batavia (today's Jakarta ). Affandi was particularly fascinated by

1395-409: A painter herself. A few years later, the artist took a second wife, who has borne him three children. One of his more memorable paintings shows him nude, holding a newborn grandchild, under a blue sky filled with stars. Regrettably, the high air humidity and temperature are causing concerns about the condition of the paintings. The Affandi Foundation, who manages the museum, finds it difficult to manage

1488-415: A powerful kris to kill the mighty chieftain of Tumapel, Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok eventually stabbed the old bladesmith to death because he kept delaying the scheduled completion of the kris. Dying, the bladesmith cursed the kris through prophecy that the unfinished or incomplete kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok. Ken Arok used Mpu Gandring's cursed kris to assassinate Tunggul Ametung, cunningly put

1581-577: A protective personal amulet, remains. However, the kris saw continuous use and forging in the Philippines , which comprised most of the Spanish East Indies . Kris-forgers and swordsmen were referred to as juramentados by the Spanish. Juramentados practice a ritual of sacrifice, a form of Jihad against not only Spanish soldiers, but also against Christian Filipinos alike. The early 20th century saw

1674-413: A sanctified heirloom ( pusaka ), auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, an accessory for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc. Legendary kris that possess supernatural power and extraordinary ability were mentioned in traditional folktales, such as those of Empu Gandring, Taming Sari , and Setan Kober. In 2005, UNESCO awarded the kris the status of Masterpiece of

1767-451: A small content of nickel to create this pattern. The faint pamor pattern has been found in the kris from Majapahit period, which was acquired from iron ores with small nickel content. Most probably this iron ore was imported from the island of Sulawesi , as the pamor Luwu from Luwu region is quite well known in Sulawesi and Java. The best material for creating pamor however,

1860-536: A small dagger from Java reminiscent of kris can be found in Chinese source from the 10th century Song dynasty . In 992 the envoy from She-po (Java) arrived in Chinese court bearing a lot of gifts, consists of a dagger with exquisite hilt made of rhino horn and gold, silk woven with floral motifs made of gold threads , ivories, pearls, silk of various colours, fragrant sandalwood , cotton clothes of various colours, turtle shells, betel nut preparation kit , rattan mat with

1953-445: A straight blade is one at rest, its power dormant but ready to come into action. In former times, kris blades were said to be infused with poison during their forging, ensuring that any injury was fatal. The poison used to polish kris blade is called warangan . The process of chemical coating was done by warangan or jamas (washing) the blade with acid and minerals that contains arsenic compounds. The process of doing so

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2046-552: A surprise to himself – actually selling. With his wife's consent, he decided to devote the first ten days of each month to his trade, and the remaining twenty to his art. His only teachers were a few reproductions that he saw in copies of Studio , an art magazine from London. He felt a kinship with the Impressionists , with Goya and with Edvard Munch , as well as the earlier masters, Breughel , Hieronymus Bosch and Botticelli . Their influence began to show in his paintings. But

2139-559: A symbol of heroism, etc. In the Barong dance of Bali there is a segment called keris dance , in which the villain Rangda magically enchants Airlangga 's soldiers to commit suicide, while another magician makes them invulnerable to sharp objects. In a trance state, the male dancers stab themselves in the chest with their own kris but remain unhurt. The kris dance is a potentially dangerous dance and can lead to fatal accidents. In February 2021,

2232-466: Is acquired in a quite unusual way, as it is made from rare meteorite iron. Traditionally the pamor material for the kris smiths connected with the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta originates from an iron meteorite that fell to earth at the end of 18th century in the neighborhood of the Prambanan temple complex. The meteorite was excavated and transported to the keraton of Surakarta; from that time on

2325-563: Is also Affandi's famous portrait paintings greeting visitors as they enter the pavilion. The Lempad Pavilion houses collections of the Balinese Maestro, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad , in NAM is curated by Walter Spies . The first Lempad's painting collected at NAM was Durma Meets the Mother of Angels , which was a painting gifted by the maestro himself. Kris : This collection came about when in

2418-599: Is also home to works by overseas artists who have been inspired by the natural beauty, life, and culture of Bali. Among the artworks on display are portraits by Dutch artists Rudolf Bonnet (such as his Temptation of Arjuna ) and Willem Gerard Hofker, works by Australian artist Donald Friend and Swiss artist Theo Meier (1908–1982) and Louise Garrett Koke (1897–1993. A section is devoted to Asian artists, such as Malaysian born Chang Fee-Ming , Singaporean born Teng Nee-Cheong, Filipino artist Jeremiah Elizalde Navarro and Japanese-American artis Paul Nagano. Upper stairs and adjacent to

2511-546: Is always spelled kris and pronounced either as kris or krit (กริช) in Thai , while in the Yala dialect it is spelled kareh . In Cambodia it is spelled as kris (គ្រីស) in Khmer . Other alternative spellings used by Europeans include "cryse", "crise", "criss", "kriss" and "creese". In English, the plural form is often simply "kris" as well. The kris's history is generally traced through

2604-485: Is considered as a cultural symbol of Indonesia and also neighbouring countries like Brunei , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , and Thailand . A kris can be divided into three parts: blade ( bilah or wilah ), hilt ( hulu ), and sheath ( warangka ). Each part of the kris is considered a piece of art, often carved in meticulous detail and made from various materials: metal, precious or rare types of wood, or gold or ivory. A kris's aesthetic value covers

2697-487: Is currently home to 400 paintings and sculptures. Arranged over a hectare the museum is designed to reflect the traditional architecture of a Balinese family compound, with visitors encouraged to walk through a series of galleries, starting with classical paintings and progressing to contemporary Indonesian art, followed by art created in and influenced by Bali by foreign artists. After the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 until

2790-471: Is more difficult for them to find successors to whom they may transmit their skills. The traditional kris-making industry still survives in some villages, such as Banyu Sumurup village in Imogiri subdistrict, Bantul , Yogyakarta, either specially made as a sacred amulet ordered by a kris enthusiast who seeks its spiritual power, or merely as souvenirs for tourists. Physically, the kris is a form of dagger with

2883-499: Is named after him. Kris The kris or keris is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron ( pamor ). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well, and is one of the weapons commonly used in the pencak silat martial art native to Indonesia . Kris have been produced in many regions of Indonesia for centuries, but nowhere—although

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2976-430: Is the reason warriors often made offerings to their kris at a shrine. There is also the belief that pointing a kris at someone means they will die soon, so silat practitioners precede their demonstrations by touching the points of the blades to the ground so as to neutralise this effect. Several folktales—linked to historical figures—mention legendary kris that possess supernatural power and extraordinary ability. Most of

3069-606: The dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with around 60 variants), the pamor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 250 variants), and tangguh referring to the age and origin of a kris. Depending on the quality and historical value of the kris, it can fetch thousands of dollars or more. Both a weapon and spiritual object, kris are often considered to have an essence or presence, considered to possess magical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others possessing bad. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons,

3162-505: The keraton (royal court) of Yogyakarta and Surakarta , and also the princedom of Mangkunegaran and Pakualaman . The Javanese kings and nobles of these courts are known to employ some kris blacksmiths ( empu ) and become the patrons of their works, although the activity of kris-making is declining. Until the 1990s, kris-making activities in Java had almost come to a standstill due to economic difficulties and changing socio-cultural values. However, thanks to several concerned kris experts,

3255-527: The Philippines and Thailand . In the Philippines, the kris and similar stabbing daggers are known as gunong or gulok , while the much larger slashing sword versions are known as kalis or sundang . The larger kalis sword was introduced from the Sulu Sultanate of the Philippines back to Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia, where it became known keris Sulu . In Thailand it

3348-540: The 17th century to the present day and includes Anak Agung Gde Sobrat ’s Ubud-style painting The Bumblebee Dance and the Busy Bali by I Wayan Bendi (1950– ), which reflects on the effects of tourism on the island. The Arie Smit Pavilion exhibits works in the Young Artists style as well as paintings by their mentor, Arie Smit . The Photography Archive Centre houses a collection of black-and-white photographs from Bali in

3441-503: The 1930s and 1940s. The small Lempad Pavilion is dedicated to local artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad . The Contemporary Indonesian Art Hall focuses on contemporary works by artists from other parts of Indonesia. The East-West Art Annex is home to contemporary Indonesian art with works by important artists such as Abas Alibasyah, Abdul Aziz (1928-2002), Javanese artist Affandi, Bagong Kussudiardja , Dullah, Sindudarsono Sudjojono , Srihadi Soedarsono (1931– ) and Haji Widayat (1919–2002). It

3534-612: The British or Dutch East Indies colonial state. In number of regions, a ban was placed on carrying of cutting and stabbing weapons. In Java, the turning point was the end of the five-year-long Java War when the rebellious Prince Diponegoro was defeated and detained, and had to hand his kris over to the Dutch in 1830. This event marked the disarmament of the kris as a combat weapon among the Javanese populace. Its ceremonial function, however, as part of traditional costumes, as sacred heirloom and as

3627-557: The Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet where during visits to various museums he saw fine examples of Balinese art which couldn't be seen in Indonesia. Returning home he resolved to establish a fine arts museum in Bali. Established in 1976 the museum was officially opened on 7 July 1982 by Dr Daoed Joesoef, the Indonesian Minister for Education and Culture. At the time of its establishment it was the first privately owned museum in Bali. The museum

3720-518: The East West Annex is the Kris Hall, which is home to a superb collection of kris (also known as keris). Classical Puppet Style Painting : Originating from the 17th century or earlier, these artworks are usually anonymous but include work by Mangku Mura and I Nyoman Arcana. Ubud Style Painting : Appearing after the 1920s, these works show the influence of European painters. NAM has

3813-419: The Javanese wayang , or shadow-play. He followed his family to Bandung and then to Batavia, honing his skill at drawing and then at oil painting. By the time he began painting seriously, in 1940, he had at various times been a housepainter, a cinema ticket-collector, and a billboard artist. He would save paints left over from the posters and his other jobs and paint landscapes. Soon he was exhibiting – and, as

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3906-469: The Malay world and Java, an honourable form of execution was death by kris to the heart. Kris were used commonly in battle, during the early modern period , instead of having professional armies, most kings within the region relied on their courtiers to mobilize for war whenever required and since most Javanese, Malay and Makassarese would own a kris, the weapon would have seen regular combat. During amok ,

3999-775: The Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . The word kris come from the Old Javanese term " kris " ( Javanese : ꦏꦿꦶꦱ꧀ ) which means "dagger". In Javanese , kris is known as kris ( Javanese : ꦏꦿꦶꦱ꧀ ), dhuwung ( Javanese : ꦝꦸꦮꦸꦁ ), and wangkingan ( Javanese : ꦮꦁꦏꦶꦁꦔꦤ꧀ ). In Malay (subsequently Indonesian and Malaysian ), Sundanese , Balinese and Sasak it is spelled keris ( Pegon and Jawi : کريس). Other names include karih in Minangkabau , and sele (ᨔᨙᨒᨙ) in Buginese and Makassarese . Two notable exceptions are

4092-463: The admiral Hang Tuah is said in the Hikayat Hang Tuah to have armed himself with one short and one long kris. Women also wore kris, though usually of a smaller size than a man's. In battle, a fighter might have carried more than one kris; some carried three kris: his own, one from his father-in-law, and one as a family heirloom. The extra two served as parrying daggers, but if none were available

4185-500: The age and origin of a kris. The kris blade is called a wilah or bilah . Kris blades are usually narrow with a wide, asymmetrical base, one rare kind of kris with a broad blade is the keris buah beko in Kelantan and Java copying the shape of the oroxylum seed pod. The kris is famous for its wavy blade; however, older types of kris dated from the Majapahit era have straight blades, as do more than half of all kris prior to

4278-702: The biennale in Brazil (1952), Venice (1954), and won an award there, and São Paulo (1956). In 1957, he received a scholarship from the United States government to study arts education. He was appointed as an Honorary Professor in Painting by Ohio State University in Columbus . In 1974, he received an honorary doctorate from University of Singapore , the Peace Award from the Dag Hammarskjoeld Foundation in 1977, and

4371-529: The biggest collections of Arie Smit with the earliest painting from the Maestro dated to 1940s when he was still deployed as a Dutch soldier in Cideng , Jakarta. JMK Suteja Neka and Affandi shared a close friendship. NAM owned Affandi's painting related to Balinese arts and culture including, Galungan Holiday painting, Barong paintings, Kusamba Sailing painting, Banyan Tree painting, and Cockfighting paintings. There

4464-488: The blame to Kebo Ijo, and built a new kingdom of Singhasari . The prophecy finally came true, with four men enlisted as the kris' first death roll, including Mpu Gandring himself, Tunggul Ametung, Kebo Ijo to whom Ken Arok lent the weapon, and finally Ken Arok himself. The unfinished kris then disappeared. Another version of the tale describes that the kris passed to Ken Arok 's stepson Anusapati which in turn killed his stepfather after recognized that his biological father

4557-406: The choice weapon for an execution known as the hukuman salang . The executioner's kris had a long, straight, slender blade. The condemned knelt before the executioner, who placed a wad of cotton or similar material on the subject's shoulder or clavicle area. The blade was thrust through the padding, piercing the subclavian artery and the heart. Upon withdrawal, the cotton wiped the blade clean. In

4650-477: The complex is occupied by the Bale Sumanggen (a multipurpose building) which houses the ticket office, a gift shop, a bookstore, administration offices and a temporary exhibition hall. Scattered behind it in a Natah (open garden) is a series of pavilions and halls trace the development of painting in Bali. The multi-room Balinese Painting Hall gives an overview of the three major schools of Balinese painting from

4743-670: The danger of doing paintings with this in mind. I have no intention of becoming a social propagandist, and I must be careful. One day, in India, visiting a village with my Daughter Kartika , I saw a dead body covered by a mattress. Kartika said, "That's a good subject for you." I felt very touched by what we had seen, but I told her I would not paint it. My next painting was of a flower, in reality very fresh, but which on my canvas lacked all life. Some of Affandi's most creative years were spent in India, where he travelled and painted from 1949 to 1951. From there he went to Europe, showing his paintings at

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4836-519: The decline of kris forging as carrying edged weapons was banned in the Dutch East Indies. However its spiritual and ceremonial function still continues and is celebrated mainly in kraton and istana (courts) throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and the Muslim-inhabited parts of the southern Philippines. In Java, the traditional art of kris-making is preserved in the Javanese culture heartland,

4929-511: The effect of the acids. The handle or hilt ( hulu ) is an object of art, often carved in meticulous details and made from various materials: precious rare types of wood to gold or ivory. They were often carved to resemble various animals and Hindu deities, although this became less common with the introduction of Islam. In Bali, kris handles are made to resemble demons coated in gold and adorned with semi precious and precious stones, such as rubies. In Java, kris handles are made in various types,

5022-453: The end of 2021, PM Kardi Suteja and PA Laksmi Kardi with their families have renovated old buildings and added new buildings in addition to rearranging existing art collections so that they can be easily appreciated. The Mecaru Ceremony and the Rehearsal of the NAM were held on Sukra Wage Krulut December 24, 2021. The opening is like the rebirth of the NAM on April 22, 2022. The main part of

5115-535: The fall of Majapahit Empire and the rise of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. Tun Sri Lanang 's book, the Sejarah Melayu , tells that it was made by a Javanese empu and first used by the champion of Majapahit , a pendekar named Taming Sari. He was defeated in a duel to the death by the Melakan admiral Hang Tuah , after which the king of Majapahit presented the weapon to the victor. After being framed by

5208-566: The gap between the floating ribs, which resulted in severe bleeding and instant death. Currently, the Kris of Knaud is the oldest known surviving kris in the world. Given to Charles Knaud, a Dutch physician, by Paku Alam V in the 19th century Yogyakarta in Java, the kris is on display at the Tropenmuseum , Amsterdam. The kris bears the date of 1264 Saka (which corresponds to 1342 AD) in its iron blade. Scientists suspect that due to its special features

5301-618: The grim realities around Affandi made an even greater mark on him. In Yogjakarta one day, just after the Pacific War, Affandi sat painting a market place where folk were grubbing about, half-starved and half-naked. Infuriated at his seeming unconcern, a youth threw dust at the artist and his canvas, shouting: "This man is mad! While our people are naked he paints them on canvas and makes a bad painting we cannot understand." Affandi himself said: One day an art collector looked in my studio and said he couldn't select any of my paintings because

5394-511: The image of white cockatoo , and a small model of house made of sandalwood adorned with valuable ornaments. However, Raffles ' (1817) study of the Candi Sukuh states that the kris recognized today came into existence around 1361 AD in the kingdom of Majapahit , East Java . The scene in bas relief of Sukuh Temple in Central Java , dated from 15th century Majapahit era, shows the workshop of

5487-416: The intrinsic elements of nature: tirta (water), bayu (wind), agni (fire), bantolo (earth, but also interpreted as metal or wood which both come from the earth), and aku (lit: "I" or "me", meaning that the kris has a spirit or soul). All these elements are present during the forging of kris. Earth is metal forged by fire being blown by pumped wind, and water to cool down the metal. In Bali,

5580-603: The island of Bali comes close—is the kris so embedded in a mutually-connected whole of ritual prescriptions and acts, ceremonies, mythical backgrounds and epic poetry as in Central Java . Within Indonesia the kris is commonly associated with Javanese culture , although other ethnicities in it and surrounding regions are familiar with the weapon as part of their cultures, such as the Balinese , Sundanese , Malay , Madurese , Banjar , Buginese , and Makassar people . The kris itself

5673-531: The kris had already gained an important place within Javanese culture. In Yingya Shenglan —a record about Zheng He 's expedition (1405–1433)— Ma Huan describes that all men in Majapahit , from the king to commoners, from a boy aged three to elders, slipped pu-la-t'ou ( belati or more precisely kris dagger) in their belts. The daggers are made entirely of steel with intricate motifs smoothly drawn. The handles are made of gold, rhino's horn or ivory carved with

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5766-405: The kris is associated with the nāga or dragon, which also symbolizes irrigation canals, rivers, springs, wells, spouts, waterfalls and rainbows; thus, the wavy blade symbolizes the movement of the serpent. Some kris have the head of a naga (dragon) carved near the base with the body and tail following the curves of the blade to the tip. A wavy kris is thus a naga in motion, aggressive and alive;

5859-451: The kris might be even older, but was decorated during Majapahit period to celebrate an important event. The kris bears scenes from the Ramayana on an unusual thin copper layer which partially covers it. Although the people of Southeast Asia were already familiar with this type of stabbing weapon, the development of the kris most probably took place in Java, Indonesia. From its origin in Java,

5952-717: The kris to the Javanese. While it is commonly believed that kris were the primary weapons wielded by fighters in the past, they were actually carried by warriors as a secondary armament if they lost their main weapon, which was usually a spear. For commoners however, kris were worn on a daily basis, especially when travelling because it might be needed for self-defense. During times of peace, people wore kris as part of ceremonial attire. Ceremonial kris were often meticulously decorated with intricate carving in gold and precious stones. Heirloom blades were handed down through successive generations and worn during special events such as weddings and other ceremonies. Men usually wore only one kris but

6045-423: The kris was used in a furious charge to scatter or kill a number of enemies even at the cost of one's own life. In the 16th century, European colonial powers introduced firearms into the archipelago that contributed to the decline of using the kris as the weapon of choice in battle. The forging of edged weapons went into decline from the moment that the sultans or rajas were subjugated and their realms annexed by

6138-528: The magical kris are of Javanese origin, while the tales are mainly derived from Javanese ancient manuscript and Babad (Javanese chronicle). One of the most famous legends from Java comes from the Pararaton (Book of Kings). It describes a legendary bladesmith called Mpu Gandring or Empu Gandring and his impatient customer, Ken Arok , in the last days of the Kediri kingdom in the 13th century. The customer ordered

6231-717: The major capitals (among them Paris , London , Brussels , Rome ). He has visited the United States thrice, teaching at Ohio State University and painting a mural at the East-West Center in Hawaii. He has shown also at the São Paulo Biennale and travelled through Asia, and was planning for a trip around the world, to do a series of paintings for an art collector in Japan. As a renowned artist, Affandi participated in various exhibitions abroad. Besides India, he also displayed his works in

6324-616: The mid-2000s, Neka developed an interest in kris spurred by a realization of his swadharma (self-obligation) as a member of the Pande (blacksmith) clan and as a descendant of Pande Pan Nedeng, the royal blacksmith for the court of Ida I Dewa Agung Djelantik, the 19th century king of Peliatan. He spent most of the following decade traveling across Bali and to Java –considered Indonesia's kris heartland acquainting himself with notable mpu (kris-makers) and scholars as he built up his collection. The museum has approximately 27 heirloom kris that were gifted to

6417-400: The mighty viceroy ( adipati ) of Jipang who was killed by his own kris called Setan Kober ("devil of the grave"). It was forged by Empu Bayu Aji in the kingdom of Pajajaran , and had 13 luk on its blade. Near its completion when the empu tried to infuse the weapon with spiritual power, he was disturbed by a crying demon ( djinn ) from the graveyard. As a result, although powerful, the kris had

6510-523: The minister so long as Hang Tuah could win him back the throne. Having trained under the same master since childhood the two friends were nearly equals but of the two, Tuah was the superior fighter. However, even after a long battle in the palace, neither could best the other because the Kris Taming Sari evened the odds. Only after taking his weapon back did Hang Tuah manage to stab Jebat, who died soon after. Javanese folk story tells of Arya Penangsang ,

6603-399: The modern era. The number of curves on the blade (known as luk or lok ) is always odd. Common numbers of luk range from three to thirteen waves, but some blades have up to 29. In contrast to the older straight type, most kris today have a wavy blade which is supposed to increase the severity of wounds inflicted upon a victim. According to traditional Javanese kejawen , kris contain all

6696-452: The most common design being the abstract stylized representation of the human form. Examples of hilt designs include Tunggak Semi Putri Kinurung hilt from Surakarta, Batara Guru and Pulasir hilt from Madura, Punukan hilt from Palembang, Ratmaja from Bali, Pulungan hilt from Cirebon, Pekaka hilt from Pattani, and a seabird-like hilt from Lampung and Sulawesi. The kris usually has a curved pistol-grip hilt that aids in stabbing strikes. It allows

6789-450: The museum by the descendants of royal houses and venerated mpu (blacksmiths). As well it has another 100 historical and antiquate kris and another 200 kris of the post-independence period. Notable kris in the collection include: In 2009, Mahasemaya Warga Pande, the clan-based organization for the descendants of the island's blacksmiths, honoured Neka with the title Jejeneng Mpu Kris (venerated kris-maker). This article related to

6882-546: The museum properly, due to a lack of funds and revenue. Before his death, Affandi spent a lot of time sitting around in his own museum, observing his paintings. He said once, "I want to die in simplicity without giving anyone unnecessary trouble, so I could go home to Him in peace." Affandi died on 23 May 1990, at the age of 83. He is now buried in the museum complex, as he wished to always be surrounded by his family and his works. One of main roads connecting Sleman Regency and Yogyakarta, Jalan Affandi (previously Jalan Gejayan),

6975-458: The occult. Kris were worn at special ceremonies, with heirloom blades being handed down through successive generations. Both men and women might wear them, though those for women are smaller. A rich spirituality and mythology developed around the weapon. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctified heirloom, auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, as an accessory for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status,

7068-496: The occupation has been preserved by the Pande clan to this day, members of whom also make jewellery. A bladesmith makes the blade in layers of different iron ores and meteorite nickel. Some blades can be made in a relatively short time, while more intricate weapons take years to complete. In high quality kris blades, the metal is folded dozens or hundreds of times and handled with the utmost precision. Empu are highly respected craftsmen with additional knowledge in literature, history, and

7161-456: The owner had a bad dream, the blade was unlucky and had to be discarded, whereas if the owner had a good dream the dagger would bring good fortune. However, just because a blade was bad for one person didn't mean it would be bad for another. Harmony between the weapon and its owner was critical. Because some kris are considered sacred and believed to possess magical powers, specific rites needed to be completed to avoid calling down evil fates which

7254-405: The paintings he saw hurt his feelings. He asked me why I didn't make paintings of beautiful objects: landscapes, girls, and so forth. I too like beautiful things, but they do not necessary provide inspiration for my work. My subjects are expressive rather than beautiful. I paint suffering – an old woman, a beggar, a black mountain ... My great wish is that people learn a little from my work. I do know

7347-446: The palm of the holding hand to add pressure to the blade while stabbing. A kris only offers minimal protection for the hand by the broad blade at the hilt. As with the hilt, a kris' sheath ( warangka ) is also an object of art. It can be made from various materials, usually a wooden frame to hold the blade which can be coated with metals such as brass, iron, silver, or even gold, usually carved in sulur floral motifs. The upper part of

7440-414: The sheath formed a broad curved handle made from wood or sometimes ivory. It could be adorned with precious or semi-precious stones. The making of a kris was the specialised duty of metalworkers called empu (lit. "possessor") or pandai besi (lit. "iron-skilled"). In Java the honorary title empu refer to those ironsmiths who possess the special skill of forging the kris. According to Javanese beliefs ,

7533-459: The sheath would serve the same purpose. Kris were often broken in battle and required repairs. Yearly cleanings, known in Javanese tradition as jamasan , is required as part of the spirituality and mythology surrounding the weapon, often left ancient blades worn and thin. The repair materials depended on location and it is quite usual to find a weapon with fittings from several areas. For example,

7626-465: The smiths of Vorstenlanden (the Royal territories) used small pieces of meteoric iron to produce pamor patterns in their kris, pikes, and other status weapons. After etching the blade with acidic substances, it is the small percentage of nickel present in meteoric iron that creates the distinctive silvery patterns that faintly light up against the dark background of iron or steel that become darkened by

7719-659: The study of carvings and bas-relief panels found in Java , Indonesia . Some of the most famous renderings of a kris appear on the bas-reliefs of Borobudur (825) and Prambanan temples (850), originating from Hindu - Buddhist Mataram Kingdom of Central Java . The term kris was mentioned in several ancient Javanese inscriptions, including Humanding inscription (707 Saka or 875 CE), Jurungan inscription and Haliwangbang inscription (708 Saka or 876 CE), Taji inscription (823 Saka or 901 CE), Poh inscription (827 Saka or 905 CE), and Rukam inscription (829 Saka or 907 CE). The description of

7812-520: The support of his wife Ni Gusti Made Srimin he opened one of Ubud's first art galleries in 1966. Soon it became a hub for artists, including Affandi , Dullah, Hendra Gunawan and Srihadi Soedarsono, many later becoming family friends. The majority of that high quality paintings that he stocked were purchased by foreign tourists, who of course took them out of the country. Realizing the need to document and preserve Balinese art for future generations he began collecting works. In 1975, Neka travelled overseas with

7905-509: The title of Grand Maestro in Florence , Italy. In Yogyakarta , where he has lived since 1945, Affandi designed for himself a free-form house that has become a stopping place for tourists as well as tourists visiting the old town. The place, located in Sleman Regency , also functions as a museum to display his paintings. The museum has around 250 of Affandi's paintings. Affandi says that he

7998-411: The tradition is being revived and kris craftsmanship has increased again. Over the past three decades, kris have lost their prominent social and spiritual meaning in society. Although active and honoured smiths who produce high quality kris in the traditional way can still be found in some places such as Madura, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Palembang, their number is dramatically decreasing, and it

8091-447: The tube". Affandi painted by directly squeezing the paint out of its tube. He came across this technique by accident, when he intended to draw a line one day. As he lost his patience when he was looking for a missing pencil, he applied the paint directly from its tube. The resulting effect, as he found out, was that the painted object appeared more alive. He also felt more freedom to express his feelings when he used his own hands, instead of

8184-521: The use of kris spread throughout the Indonesian archipelago, Singapore, Malaysia, Southern Thailand and the Philippines through diplomacy and trade. The spread of the kris to other nations such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, some historians say, was credited to the growing influence of the Majapahit Empire in Java around the year 1492. The Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian canto XVII,

8277-672: Was kept secret among smiths. Different types of whetstones, acidic juice of citrus fruits and poisonous arsenic bring out the contrast between the dark black iron and the light colored silvery nickel layers which together form pamor , damascene patterns on the blade. The distinctive pamor patterns have specific meanings and names which indicate the mythical properties they are believed to impart. There are around 60 variants of pamor recognized today in traditional kris blades. Some examples of pamor include beras wutah , udan mas , kembang kacang , kembang pala and ladrang cendan . The kris blade forging uses iron with

8370-436: Was killed by Ken Arok with the same kris. The bloody feud continued on and on until the reign of Kertanegara , the last king of Singosari Empire Taming Sari ("flower shield") is one of the most well-known kris in Malay literature, said to be so skilfully crafted that anyone wielding it was unbeatable. In some versions of the legend, the weapon would grant its user physical invulnerability. The legend took place sometime during

8463-420: Was mainly assigned to government officers who were paid, in whole or in part, with foodstuffs such as rice . There are several ways of testing whether a kris is lucky or not. A series of cuts on a leaf, based on blade width and other factors, could determine if a blade was good or bad. Also, if the owner slept with the blade under their pillow, the spirit of the kris would communicate with the owner via dream. If

8556-419: Was said that some kris helped prevent fires, death, agricultural failure, and many other problems. Likewise, they could also bring fortune, such as bountiful harvests. Many of these beliefs were derived from the possession of different kris by different people. For example, there is a type of kris in Java that was called Beras Wutah , which was believed to grant its possessor an easy life without famine. This kris

8649-521: Was struck with the idea for its architecture one day during a rainstorm. He had been walking in the surroundings hills, and took shelter under a huge tree with large leaves. The roof of Affandi's house is shaped like a leaf from this tree, and the high single room sits elevated on structures that resemble two tree trunks. Additional support is provided by the tree trunks richly carved by the famous Balinese sculptor, Nyoman Tjokot. Affandi had two wives. The only child from his first marriage, Kartika, has become

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