I

ndonesia may lose the art of kris making due to people's lack of appreciation and the government's lack of attention to the preservation of the country's heritage, a local group says.

Toni Junus, the secretary-general of Panji Nusantara heritage preservation association, said the number of kris masters had been diminishing.

"A kris master refers to a person who has superb skills in making sacred and highly artistic daggers," Junus said.

There are thousands of kris producers, making daggers for public or commercial purposes, for collections or souvenirs, he said.

In Bali, home to famous blacksmiths, only a handful of kris masters remain. Made Gde Suardika is one of these remaining masters.

Times have changed, however. In the past, both in Bali and Java the lives of artisans including kris masters were fully supported by royal families.

The art of kris making flourished under the royal kingdoms of Java and Bali, he said.

Beautiful and rare pieces were made to order for royalty.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared Kris as part of Indonesia's heritage.

"However, many people are not aware of the importance of preserving the kris," he said.

Suardhika said it was difficult for him to produce the sacred kris.

"I had to leave my robust business to focus on my *real profession' as a kris maker," he said.

Together with his father and other family members, Suardhika produces only one kris a month.