Sumenep, one of regions in Madura Island has the potential of craft industry historical value and hereditary, namely kris (in Indonesia the name is keris) craft. Aeng Tong Tong Village is the only local manufacturer and craftsmen of kris which is on the island of Madura and always survive from the Age of Sumenep Empire until now. Kris is a dagger stabbing weapons group (pointed end and sharp on both sides) with a lot of functions known cultures in the western and central parts of the Indonesia archipelago. The shape of kris is distinctive and easily distinguishable from other weapons because it is not symmetrical at the base that widened, often winding blade, and many of them have the prestige (damascene), which is visible fibers bright metal coating on the strands of the bar. This stabbing weapon has similarities with the dagger.
Aeng Tong Tong Village is located in the northwest of Saronggi District and still staying in the region of Saronggi District. Aeng Tong Tong Village, in Madura wordplay “aeng” that has meaning “water”, while “tong – tong” has meaning “taken by way of carry”. Maybe you are still a little curious why it was given its name, but the reason for the geographical location of the Aeng Tong Tong Village that is on a hillside and rocky, so people of Aeng Tong Tong Village relied on water springs that located in the western part of the Aeng Tong Tong Village to get water. The greatness of the kris craftsmen in Aeng Tong Tong Village is not only limited to the extent of kris accessories, but much of it is said the quality of dagger can be used as a talisman, grace and a kris that has a high prestige are tested along the way. Although the kris craftsmen are appeared in a number of areas in the Bluto and Saronggi District, but the masters or kris artisans of the Aeng Tong Tong Village still be the best since era of Singosari Kingdom until today.
High art and the best product is making of kris lovers book and order this type dagger to the artisans in the Aeng Tong Tong Village. The craftsmen in this village usually make kris based on consumer desires. For this type of keris, there are two kinds based on the purpose of use, for decoration and for kris auspicious. For decoration and ornament, kris is made simple prestige and engravings or also depending on orders. Prestige alone is carving that contained on kris rod and it usually shiny because of the prestige that comes from a meteorite that fell from the sky. While for the auspicious, the making process of kris usually gets special treatment that the MPU (craftsmen of kris) perform rituals. In making kris for the auspicious so on for 3-7 days depending on the difficulty level after it had made. During the process of making kris, the MPU should not say anything because he must concentrate on making a dagger auspicious the. Supposedly auspicious kris is often hunted subscribers from around the country and overseas because magical of the auspicious kris can be a talisman of luck in business or get a job title.
Until now, almost 75-90% of the population in Aeng Tong Tong Village work as craftsmen / MPU of kris. Heritage skills and expertise as well as high-art of the ancestors of the past have given color and enormous financial benefits to rural people of Aeng Tong Tong. In fact, this legacy of kris craft has been risen the dignity the society of Aeng Tong Tong higher. Because masterpiece, kris crafts give a blessing for craftsmen with annual sales of about 5 to 15 million for a craftsman. It can be imagined turnover of craftsmen who reached 300 people, plus a reduction in unemployment because every craftsman for making process of kris needs to employ two workers.
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