American Indian-inspired crafts no mere decorations<\/p>\n
By Kartika Bagus C.<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): American Indians are legendary among those
\nthat admire them even though they have been alienated and often
\nsubjected to cruel treatment at the hands of Europeans.<\/p>\n
American Indians, who used to be the main population on the
\nAmerican continent, are now divided into 350 tribes. Some of the
\nmore famous ones in the northern part of the continent are the
\nMohawk, the Oglala, the Sioux, the Apaches and the Sashewatch
\nwhile those in the southern part of the continent include the
\nIncas, the Maya, the Aztecs and so forth.<\/p>\n
In the past, these Indian tribes were famed for their warrior
\nskills as they would enter fierce battles using very simple
\nweapons. They could defeat their enemies and take on much better
\narmed European soldiers. Understandably many believe that the
\nobjects that were used by these American Indians had magical
\npowers. Consequently, many have developed a penchant for
\ncollecting these items.<\/p>\n
However, the American Indian-inspired handicrafts found in
\nYogyakarta will give you a different impression. The items don't
\nimpress as being particularly mystical or magical but they are
\nvery attractive and exotic. They may even look better than
\ngenuine American Indian items. At least this is the impression
\nthat one may get from the American Indian-inspired handicrafts on
\ndisplay at the Seniman Muda Indonesia Group (Group of Indonesian
\nYoung Artists) showroom in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
In this showroom, a visitor can see statues of famous American
\nIndian chiefs like Geronimo or Sitting Bull. Some of the statues
\nare life-size complete with all the accessories around their
\nbodies. There is even a statue of an Indian warrior on horseback
\nwith his bow and arrows slung across his back and a tomahawk in
\nhis hand. The statue is imbued with heroism and closely resembles
\na living person.<\/p>\n
Hendra S, an artist and also the group's manager, said he
\nfirst got the idea to make uniquely American Indian handicrafts
\nin a gathering with fellow alumni from the Indonesian Arts
\nInstitute (ISI) Yogyakarta. \"That was some time in 1998. Finally
\nwe have this group,\" he said.<\/p>\n
These American Indian handicrafts are quite difficult to make.
\nBefore making one, a person must first master the art of
\nsculpture and then he or she must have detailed knowledge about
\nthe American Indians in order to have a good reference for the
\nlife-like statues.<\/p>\n
Hendra said that he and his friends had collected detailed
\nreferences about particular tribes. \"A friend once studying at
\nKansas University also helped us,\" said Hendra, a 1993 ISI
\ngraduate.<\/p>\n
After studying the background sufficiently, a model of a
\nstatue -- from head to toe -- is made from clay. During this
\nprocess, the craftsman will muster all his skills, paying
\nattention particularly to details on the face and the body's
\ncontours.<\/p>\n
The finished model will become the master copy and will be
\nused to produce a mold. Then silicon is applied throughout the
\nmold for the final duplication work. Afterwards, melted
\nfiberglass is poured into the mold. The product of this mold will
\nthen be formed into the final work.<\/p>\n
By the final production stage, the sculptures have been worked
\non by some 80 workers. The finishing touches will be applied
\nthrough a baking process intended to smoothen the sculpture and
\ngive it the color of human skin.<\/p>\n
\"However, parts of the sculpture will intentionally be left in
\nits original color,\" said Hendra, who is also a lecturer at an
\narts institute in Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
The presence of accessories will make the sculpture complete.
\nIn fact, the process of adding accessories will determine the
\nsuccess of a handicraft. The additional accessories include
\ncoconut-based ornaments, dresses, saddles, bows and arrows,
\nnecklaces and so forth. All of these accessories are mere
\nimitations to ease the licensing process when the handicrafts are
\nto be exported.<\/p>\n
These Indian-inspired products have now been exported to
\nplaces such as Australia, Mexico, Singapore and Spain.
\nDomestically they are marketed in Jakarta and Bali.<\/p>\n
\"We are always running out of stock and those interested to
\nbuy these Indian handicraft products must first place an order,\"
\nHendra said.<\/p>\n
For ordinary people, these handicrafts are expensive. A
\nstatue, for example, is sold at between Rp 1 million and Rp 5
\nmillion. One type of accessory will cost between Rp 10,000 and Rp
\n70,000.<\/p>\n
Efforts are always made to maintain the quality of the
\nmaterials used to make these handicraft products.<\/p>\n
\"We have now four more craftsmen. They are freelancers and
\nhelp our four permanent handicraftsmen.\"<\/p>\n
Hendra and his colleagues are now considering to make these
\nhandicraft products more than just decorations.<\/p>\n
For instance, they are working to make a statue of an Indian
\nwoman as both a decoration and as a lamp frame, which will look
\nvery nice indeed when it is placed either in a sitting room or a
\nbedroom.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/american-indian-inspired-crafts-no-mere-decorations-1447893297",
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