A fitting tribute to the crafts of Indonesia

Joop Ave, former tourism minister, is now a leading art collector.

Indonesia's Arts and Crafts

By Joop Ave, et al

Published by Bab Publishing Indonesia

Available at leading bookshops

Reviewed by Manote Tripathi

The Nation

"Indonesia's Arts and Crafts", the latest

book by leading art collector Joop Ave,

reveals that Indonesia is slowly creating its

own renaissance of arts and crafts through

these craftsmen.

While still an area with largely untapped

potential, the crafts reflect the riches of

Indonesia's cultural heritage that originated

in the creative hands of the poor.

And it is these simple artisans that Ave

wants to celebrate in his book - the humble

citizens who created the country's millenni-

um-old crafting traditions that speak of the

special creative genius of Indonesia. They

were unsung heroes but widely esteemed for

their expertise.

With lavish illustrations of elegant handi-

crafts from wood carvings and metal ware to

textiles, pottery and basketry, the book is an

introduction to Indonesia's new and histori-

cal crafts that have evolved over a millenni-

um on the archipelago. It's an ideal resource

for anyone interested in studying and collecting

the country's arts and crafts.

The world of Indonesian crafts dates back

4,000 years, says the author. Cloth weaving,

using materials like banana leaves, pineapple

fibre and orchid stalk, has been practised

since prehistoric times and is recorded in

relief carvings in temples like the eighth-

century Borobudur complex.

Another temple, Candi Sukuh, shows

scenes of people making kris - a typical

Indonesian dagger - that date back to the

15th century.

Indeed, there's nothing quite like the formidable

scale of Indonesian creative power.

These artisans, however poor, are blessed

with a natural gift.

Ave paints a picture - a common sight on

the island of Bali - of farmers toiling away

under the glaring sun in the paddy fields.

But come evening, these same farmers turn

into artists - the men becoming musicians

and the women dancers to perform traditional

music in the square, entertaining

themselves and visitors. He also describes

Lombok villages, where shabbily dressed

women are found sitting on the ground

weaving colourful pieces of cloth with

beautiful motifs, often items of museum

quality.

These people are only part of the thousands

of creative communities that form

the wealth of Indonesian craft heritage.

Among the archipelago's melting pot of

races, the different handicrafts are integral

to the ethnic identities that distinguish

one tribe from another.

Like the Sumatrans, the Kalimanta

Malays traditionally forged kris blades

and wove fabrics with silk and precious

metal theads. They are renowned for their

silver jewellery, betel dishes and decorative bowls.

Their upriver neighbours, the Dayaks,

decorate textiles with the warp-and-weft

ikat method and use beadwork to embel-

lish waistcoats and baskets. They also

produce the country's best rattan mats

and baskets.

In Sulawesi, the Bugis and

Makassarese are known for silk weaving,

silversmithing and kris making. Javanese

are famed for their wood-carving tradi-

tions, with the palace at Yogyakarta serv-

ing as a tribute to their art. Bali is also the

site of some of the best wood carvings,

these days combining modern and tradi-

tional styles.

Meanwhile the kris makers of Central

Java are respected to the point of inspiring

awe among locals. Of the materials used in

handicraft making, cloth has been the

supreme ruler. As the author points out,

its creation represents the greatest craft

achievement (read female accomplishment,

especially in an Asian society where craft

work is rife with male chauvinism).

No doubt then that batik, which is associated

with Java, particularly its royal courts, lies

at the core of the country's creative

genius. As the book shows, the Indonesian

crafts world has a dazzling future, with

rich elites from Jakarta to Surabaya taking

the place of former courtiers as patrons of

the arts and crafts. Taking this renaissance

even further are talents like ceramics designer

Jesika Tirtanimala, who is showing us that its

possible to be cutting-edge without compromising

national identity.