The miniature sheets on this cover were issued to commemorate the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia”. On the MS on the left is pictured “The keris” which is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to every part of Indonesia except Maluku and Papua, and can also be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the southern Philippines and Thailand, i.e. in all regions that used to be the sphere of influence of the Majapahit Kingdom. Both a weapon and spiritual object, the keris is often believed to have mystical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others bringing bad luck to those who possess them or come into contact with them.
The MS on the right depicts Hanoman or Anoman, a puppet version of Hanuman from the Hindu mythology “Ramayana” is very popular in Yogyakarta. Nina sent me this cover.
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