Isaäc Groneman
Preface and Introduction by David van Duuren

To the benefit of kris aficionados all over the world, Dr. I. Groneman´s epoch-making early study on the Javanese kris published as ‘Der Kris der Javaner’ in the Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie, 19 & 21 (1910/1913) is now presented in an unabridged English translation.

Groneman includes and makes accessible to a larger public the classifications specified by N.L. Winter (1871) adding a second list of classifications taken from a manuscript created in the kraton of Yogyakarta. All in all, this list presents us with 118 Central Javanese kris forms. The final section of his work offers an all-round history of the kris, as recorded by the Javanese themselves in chronicles and manuscripts, and an extensive alphabetical list of Javanese kris-related terms.

If Isaäc Groneman had not planned to resuscitate a nearly extinct Javanese craft almost a century ago, ´Der Kris der Javaner´ would most likely not have been written. The step-by-step report of the forging of a number of blades with different pamor patterns (wos wutah, blaraq ngirid, sekar pala, sekar ngadeg, and sekar temu), the description of the tools used and the mention of each and every detail of the entourage in the smithy along with the technical and symbolic actions of the smith, confer on this article the distinction of being the real beginning of the study of the kris.

An article translated from the Dutch entitled ‘Njirami, or the annual purification of hereditary weapons and other pusakas in Central Java’ that Groneman published in 1905 has been added. In it, he describes the annual ceremonial cleansing of the sacred heirlooms, pusaka, of the Paku Alaman, a royal house in Yogyakarta.

Thanks to major contributions from a Dutch institute (KITLV), ethnographic museums and private collectors ‘The Javanese Kris’ is enhanced with 300 illustrations of kris, kris hilts and previously unpublished illustrated manuscripts on the kris dating from 1840, 1850, 1858 and 1920.

288 pp.; 300 illus., Leiden, 2009. Cloth.

Euro 75,00

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Eric Moltzau Anderson et al.

This book is the first far-reaching comprehensive publication since 1890 to focus entirely on Northern Luzon indigenous art. Thanks to the helpful assistance of most knowledgeable contributors, the result of their extensive field work is now conveyed to hopefully instill further insight into Philippine art, history and culture facilitating a more profound understanding of a complex cultural remnant.

Dealing with the traditional cultures of the Isneg, Itneg, Kalinga, Gaddang, Bontoc, Kankanay, Ifugao, Ibaloy, Ilongot, and Negrito, the subject is treated in a broad sense, covering spectacular artistic achievements in order to establish an impression of range and a basis for comparison.

This publication is illustrated with c.500 mostly previously unpublished objects acquired by ethnographic museums all over the world. Tribal art dealers including Alain Schoffel, Alex Arthur, Thomas Murray, Rudi Kratochwill, Maria Closa, and Floy Quintos have also contributed by making their collections accessible. Several hundred historical black and white photographs have been added to the book by the author.

Important participating museums are: The National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden; Museo Nacional de Antropología, Madrid; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle; Museum für Völkerkunde, Vienna; National Museum of the Philippines, Manilla; Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden; Musée du quai Branly, Paris and others.

Contributing authors are: Otto van den Muijzenberg, Roberto Maramba, David Baradas, Henry Beyer and Ramon E.J. Silvestre.

416 pp.; c.750 illus., maps, biblio.. Leiden, 2009. Cloth.

Approx. Euro 98,00

Forthcoming.

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Theo Alkema (ed.), Ben Grishaaver (photography), Karel Sirag (line drawings).

This book is about the Iron Ancestors, these remarkable objects, amulets rather than weapons, material witnesses of an ancestor cult that permeates many phases of Indonesian culture from the earliest times to the present.

The main group and the relatively best-known embodies the all-iron kris with a stylized human being as its hilt. But this book includes other objects, even less known, most of which have found only scant mention in difficult to obtain specialized publications or have been ignored all together. What they have in common is that they are all-iron with an ancestor hilt. That is why the author calls them Iron Ancestors.

All these objects are visually presented as they never have been before. Ben Grishaaver´s penetrating photographs make the feel of them as real as could be while Karel Sirag´s drawings highlight their structure in an inimitable way.

The three main types of all-iron kris are designated as clearly as possible. Moreover, in the largest group generally referred to as kris sajen, sacrifi cial kris, we present a number of separate styles that have not been previously recognized as such.

The book, the first to be entirely devoted to all these time-honoured heirlooms (pusakas), is based upon the collection of the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden [National Museum of Ethnology] and an unusually large private collection.

c.150 pp.; c.150 illus., glossary, biblio.. Leiden, 2009. Cloth.

Approx. Euro 45,00

Forthcoming.

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David van Duuren and Tristan Mostert

On the return journey of his famous expedition (1791-94), Bruny d´Entrecasteaux made use of the harbour facilities of the Dutch East Indies. S.C. Nederburgh, a senior VOC official and temporarily stationed on Java, was able to acquire several items collected during the French expedition. This explains how part of the Bruny d´Entrecasteaux collection ended up in the Tropenmuseum (Amsterdam).

These objects, eleven clubs, a spear and a food pounder deserve more attention than they have received until now. They were acquired on several Melanesian and Polynesian islands in 1792 and 1793, some thirteen years after the English explorer James Cook´s third and final voyage. They therefore number among the very early Oceanic collections found in ethnographic museums in the West.

The authors have been able to trace, in great detail, the history of these, and related, important and interesting objects now stored in Dutch and French ethnographic institutions.

72 pp.; 52 illus., maps, biblio.. Leiden, 2007. Cloth.

Euro 25,00

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Albert G. van Zonneveld

Reference work on Indonesian edged weapons describing and illustrating shields, spears, war hats, war dresses, krisses, mandau´s etc.

The unicity of this book is that an edged weapon can be determined by the shape of its blade using a scheme and without knowing its Indonesian name.

The illustrated pieces have been drawn from the National Museum of Ethnology at Leiden (the Netherlands) as well as from several private collections. Among them 65 kris and kris hilts in part collected during the nineteenth century and now regarded as masterpieces held at the above-mentioned museum.

160 pp.; 647 illus., indices, drawings, maps, hundreds of cross-references throughout, biblio.. Leiden, 2001. Cloth.

Euro 60,00

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A.M. Schmidt & P. Westerdijk

This publication presents a very early collection of throwing knives from West Central Africa (Congo). These knives came into the museum thanks especially to the efforts of Dutch trade agents.

Discarded as weapons of war and implements of the hunt, their persistence may be attributed to its potential to take on, for instance, the role of ceremonial and ritual weapon. These products of extraordinary craftsmanship are much sought after.

The catalogue offers an insight into the diversity of the collection and its fascinating early history.

112 pp.; 95 illus., maps, biblio.. Leiden, 2006. Cloth.

Euro 30,00

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Nico de Jonge and Toos van Dijk

From 1915 until 1935, the Dutch missionary, linguist and photographer, Petrus Drabbe lived in the Moluccan Tanimbar islands. Here he recorded the traditional culture in a series of stunning photographs to form a unique historical document of an Indonesian ethnic group.

These unpublished photographs are preceded by an introduction to Petrus Drabbe and the importance of his work.

72 pp.; 61 plates. Text: Dutch, English and German. Leiden, 1995. Paperback.

Euro 15,00

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Siebe Rossel and Arnold Wentholt

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the Dutch Tribal Art Collectors Society (VVE) organised an exhibition and published a large format catalogue containing 120 objects from Africa, Indonesia and Melanesia.

They were selected from VVE members´ collections and for the larger part not published before.

The lavishly illustrated description of the social, ritual and symbolic context of each tribal treasure is preceded by three essays that look into the historical, anthropological and biological component to which these objects pertain.

‘...an innovative, intelligent and learned approach to the subject we all cherish.’ Marc Leo Felix, Brussels.

‘The description of the pieces are to the point and easy to relate to.’ A New York collector.

174 pp.; 120 colour plates, (87 Africa, 16 Indonesia, 17 Melanesia), 17 b/w text illus., biblio. Text: English and Dutch. Exhibition catalogue Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, 2008. Hbk.

Euro 50,00

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Michael Heppell, Limbang anak Melaka and Enyan anak Usen

Reference work on the Ibanic peoples from Borneo covering all art forms such as weaving, wooden statuary, tattoo designs, plaiting, pottery, carving bone into sword hilts, iron into swords, and brass into jewelry. This publication is especially strong on textiles, masks, weapons and wood carvings.

Most objects originate from high status Sarawakian families and have not been published before.

The Iban pose an answer to the question about the origins of art. They use art to choose their mate or spouse. A good artist demonstrates intelligent genes and a partner wants to ensure that such genes are passed on to his or her children. For the Iban, therefore, art is the ultimate IQ test.

In addition to explaining the various Iban art forms, this study demonstrates this tradition through extensive reference to Iban poetry - itself an important art form.

182 pp.; 223 colour illus. of Iban objects, field photographs throughout, maps, index, biblio.. Leiden, 2005. Cloth.

Euro 50,00

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J.E. Jasper and Mas Pirngadie

Epoch-making series on the arts and crafts of the Dutch East Indies.

Originally published in The Hague between 1912 and 1930 this series will now become available in facsimile for the first time. The tomes will be published in a reversed chronological way as is indicated below.

All volumes have been abundantly illustrated. Their size has been slightly trimmed to 21 x 30 cm.
All texts are in Dutch.

Volume 5: 279 pp.. De bewerking van niet-edele metalen (koperbewerkingen en pamorsmeedkunst). 1930
Volume 4: 291 pp.. De goud- en zilversmeedkunst. 1927
Volume 3: 277 pp.. De batikkunst. 1916
Volume 2: 373 pp.. De weefkunst. 1912
Volume 1: 240 pp.. Het vlechtwerk. 1912

Cloth.

Approx. Euro 95,00 per volume

Forthcoming.

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