Passion for keris




Nasim van Veenendaal with a keris from his grandfather's collection


On the eve of the ‘Indonesian Art, Keris & Applied Arts’ Auction, we spoke with Nasim van Veenendaal. His grandfather, engineer Emile van Veenendaal, amassed a unique collection of keris in the span of about 70 years, which will be auctioned on 7 March. 


After a career in the army, Emile van Veenendaal worked as an engineer at a metal factory. He later shifted his field of work to the municipality of Utrecht, where his responsibilities included the complex processes involved in municipal redivisions.  

  

As a young boy, between 10 to 15 years old, Emile van Veenendaal received his first keris from his father. It became his 'pusaka'. The keris was decorated with monkey hair and monkey teeth and his interest was piqued. Fairs and markets were scoured in search of more.  

  

Van Veenendaal was an economical man and thus able to start building an impressive collection of keris from 1951 onwards. He was particularly interested in the 'pamor', the drawing in the blade of a keris. ‘Pamor’ refers to the pattern made by forging different kinds of metals together. Each pattern has its own meaning, magic, and value. Van Veenendaal had a particular fascination for the pamor he found on Bali and Lombok, and wrote three books on keris. He was an amiable and modest person, who nonetheless was the focus of attention whenever he entered a room. He was always willing to share his knowledge and experience with others. 

 

Nasim remembers one of the first visits he paid to his grandfather after he had moved to an apartment. The moment he stepped into the room was overwhelming, since everywhere he looked there were keris on the walls and surfaces. This included parts of keris, since his grandfather enjoyed repairing keris as well. Twice a year, he travelled to see his beloved Indonesia, where he eventually died in 2021, aged 87. Settling the estate has brought Nasim even closer to his grandfather and his unique collection, and to the friends Emile van Veenendaal has made during his long life. 

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