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Jokowi gives his ‘keris’ to museum
Few collectors are willing to entrust their collectibles to other people, given the considerable effort taken to amass their prized possessions.
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Preserving cultures: Accompanied by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo (left) and Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo (right), President Joko (Antara/Maulana Surya )
Few collectors are willing to entrust their collectibles to other people, given the considerable effort taken to amass their prized possessions.
However, this is not the case for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who has long collected keris (traditional daggers) as a hobby.
Jokowi claimed he did not know exactly how many keris he had collected so far. One thing he can be sure of is that he no longer has time to take care of the sacred and mystical items of Javanese culture since being inaugurated as Indonesia’s seventh president on Oct. 20, 2014.
Jokowi said he bought his keris on whims. Each time he saw a keris that was attractive to him, he would buy it straightaway. Parts of his collection have also come from foreign leaders who gave him keris as gifts.
“How many keris do I have? Oh, I have no idea,” the President told journalists after he officially opened the Keris Nusantara Museum in Surakarta, Central Java, on Wednesday. The museum will house thousands of keris from all across Indonesia.
Jokowi said he would donate some of his collection to the Surakarta administration, through the city’s mayor, FX Hadi Rudyatmo.
“Let me select them first. Maybe I will send one, two, three, ok let’s say five. All will be good ones. I’m unable to take care of them myself. I will bring them to Pak Wali,” he said, referring to Rudyatmo. “They’ll include a keris I received from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte some time ago.”
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- Palmerat Barat No. 142-143
- Central Jakarta
- DKI Jakarta
- Indonesia
- 10270
- +6283816779933
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