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AKris (keris) is originally a dagger used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon, which comprises two main parts, the blade (bilah) and the blade base (ganja) that represent the lingga and the yoni, symbols associated with fertility, eternal life, and strength.

Kris has a beautiful, asymmetrical (straight or wavy (luk)) shape, forged out of two, three, or more metals, according to Bambang Hasrinuksmo in Ensiklopedi Keris (2008) and Haryono Guritno in Keris Jawa Antara Mistik dan Nalar (2006). But eventually, Kris transcends its mere technomical function as a weapon into emphasizing its philosophical values and life philosophy of Indonesian people. In Indonesian culture, Kris is present in all milestones in life, from birth to death.

Kris is a means to remind and keep us mindful of our creator (God Almighty). Therefore, Kris often becomes an essential component in religious rituals and ceremonies.

Kris, stemming from Indonesian culture and local genius, originated in Java in the 8th century and subsequently spread to nearly the entire archipelago, as mentioned by Mubirman in his book Keris Senjata Pusaka (1980) and by Hamzuri in Keris (1993). According to Kris experts, such as Bambang Hasrinukso, Haryono Guritno, and Darmosugito, Kris has even spread to Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Kris spreads through trades, wars, marriages, and political relations, giving birth to diverse forms, patterns, and styles that reflect the characteristics of the host community, enriching the Kris world’s repertoire.

Kris culture today

Kris is a cultural heritage under the domain of traditional craftsmanship. Not only about making the blade, but Kris-making is also about making the sheath, the hilt, pendok, selud, singep, blawong, and Kris’s other sculptured or chiseled features (perabot) as well. We can find Kris makers evenly spread over various regions in Indonesia. Some time ago, Madura, Surakarta, and Yogyakarta were the centers of Kris-making. Today, Kris-making in Java is also expanding to Surabaya, Malang, Tulungagung, Madiun, Magetan, Karanganyar, Kendal, Banyumas, Jepara, Kota Gede, Bantul, Gunung Kidul, Bandung, and Bogor. Kris making also spreads to Sopeng, Bone, and Mandar (Sulawesi), later to Tabanan, Klungkung, Karangasem, Gianyar, and Badung (Bali), as well as Central Lombok, West Lombok, and East Lombok (Lombok). In Kalimantan, we can find production centers mainly in East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan. Also, we can meet prominent artisans of Kris in West Sumatra, Riau, Palembang, and Jambi.

Kris-making affects the growth of traditional ceremonies in which Kris continues to be present. Life cycle ceremonies such as seven months of pregnancy (mitoni), earth stepping (tedak siten), circumcision, marriage, village alms, communal feast, to cultural carnivals requiring a Kris. What’s interesting today, the use of Kris in traditional and modern clothing is becoming increasingly popular.

The government collaborates with the community and stakeholders proportionally to accomplish the various action plans in the Kris nomination proposal to UNESCO, referring to the strategic steps in Law no. 5 of 2017 on the Advancement of Culture.

These strategic steps include:

1. The government established the Indonesian National Kris Secretariat (SNKI) as a forum for Indonesia’s Kris enthusiasts through the MoEC’s Research and Development Center after the inscription of Kris on UNESCO’s List. Today, SNKI has grown into a sizeable organization with over 200 arts and culture studios/ associations as members in almost all parts of Indonesia. SNKI is engaged in various activities, such as research, advocacy, publication, and education. SNKI is also involved in reports on the conservation of Kris culture in international fora and promotes Kris abroad.

2. The government established a Kris study program at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Surakarta (ISI Surakarta) as a strategic step towards “krisology” through formal education. The Kris study program is a government mandate and has been part of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Surakarta since 2012 and has given birth to many qualified 4-year diploma graduates in Kris. The Kris Study Program Alumni have high expertise in the making, conserving, and curating of traditional Indonesian Kris and weapons.

3. The government’s MoECRT established the Museum Keris Nusantara in Surakarta. The government equips the museum with an extensive collection of Kris from various regions of Indonesia, an audiovisual room, a forging workshop, and a conservation room.

4. Since 2021, the Directorate of Cultural Human Resource and Cultural Institutions Empowerment and SNKI have been partners. The collaboration creates a standard for the Kris profession and meets the demand for skilled professionals. There are 29 schemes in the Kris field, which refer to aspects of Kris-making, curatorial, and conservation.

5. Exhibitions, exchanges, and workshops as educational and promotional media have a good impact on the growth of the creative economy in the Kris field because of the collaboration between academia, studios/associations, museums, and the government. ISI Surakarta, Jogjakarta International Heritage

Festival (JIHF) started the Kris Festival, Heritage Carnival in Ponorogo Regency, Kyai Tengoro Kris Carnival (Surakarta Keris Museum), and Tulungagung Kris Fest.

Challenges

Traditional cultural works are full of meaning and value, which require creative transformation to meet today’s challenges. However, we must attempt to preserve the essence and values so that the cultural heritage revives in cultural advancement. Increasingly advanced modern technology has put the world in our hands. All knowledge and information are in the gadget. The number one challenge is passing it on to the millennial generation. We have passed the Kris culture down from generation to generation for hundreds of years (from the 8th century). Because of the strong influence of foreign culture and changes in lifestyle and needs in the modern era, everything has become practical, fast, and instant. So, we need to transmit the wisdom of the Kris cultural heritage in a way the millennial generation understands. The second challenge is the rise of Kris as a medium of fraud. Limited education, lack of qualified curators, and many distortions to Kris’s wisdom often place Kris as a fraudulent medium. People rarely understand supernatural beliefs and practices involving mysticism, spirituality, and magic. It makes them victims of fraud. Some people believe in spiritual things, but they need to be equipped with an in-depth understanding and position the knowledge proportionally. Apart from that, the rise of newly made Krises that give the impression of being oldfashioned has become part of the trading commodity, which makes people reluctant to own a Kris. The third challenge is managing the Kris market share as a creative economy. A market share that extends to foreign countries provides promising economic opportunities. Unfortunately, the management is not good, so there is often overlap. The proliferation of monopolies by several parties has further widened the gap among those actively involved in Kris culture. The fourth challenge is weak curatorial.

Qualified curatorial is falling behind the growth of Kris’s culture. The impact is that it often triggers disputes and has the potential for biased understanding. Therefore, we urgently require curatorial certification to have competent curators.

The fifth challenge is the uneven distribution of the Kris ecosystem preservation. Based on observation, we noticed uneven distribution of Kris’s growth in its ecosystem. Because we have not managed various fields relevant to Kris properly, they will become a weak link and threaten Kris’s cultural sustainability. We also lack, for example, knowledge transmission on panjak or forging, wood materials for the hilt, makers of chiseled features on Kris, conservators, and curators. Other than the customs and clothing where we present the significance of the Kris, we also need to preserve the spirit and values of Kris rather than treat it as a mere decorative object. The key to a favored cultural heritage is a well-preserved ecosystem, simplified core values, and creativity that stems from its roots. We urgently need a proportional divide of responsibilities among the government, community, and all stakeholders. Our heritage, our nation’s glory.