Balinese clay pottery's last bastion<\/p>\n
Wayan Sunarta, Contributor, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Balinese pottery has been well known for hundreds of years.
\nOne of the island's pottery centers is Binoh, a small village in
\nthe Ubung area, just five kilometers north of Denpasar.<\/p>\n
No one knows exactly when the pottery business started in the
\nvillage, but village chief Nyoman Pujarsa, 45, says that pottery
\nhas been produced here for centuries.<\/p>\n
\"I have lived here since I was a child and pottery was already
\nhere,\" Pujarsa said.<\/p>\n
Binoh pottery has a distinctive style, different from that
\nproduced in other parts of Bali. Its beautiful creations take
\nvarious forms, from household utensils and ornaments to roof
\ntiles.<\/p>\n
Most of the pottery produced in Binoh is made by female
\nartists, who are involved in both its design and manufacture. It
\nis created using old-fashioned techniques. Prices range from Rp
\n20,000 (around US$2) for a large water container to Rp 35,000
\n($3).<\/p>\n
\"In the l960s, Binoh was famous as a top producer of quality
\nroof tiles. Binoh was also famous as a center for large-scale
\npottery items such as water containers and flower vases,\" Pujarsa
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The popularity of Binoh pottery has gradually faded in line
\nwith the rapid changes in the tourism and technology industries.
\n\"People are now looking for simple and high tech products
\navailable here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Among the critical problems facing the industry is the lack of
\na regeneration process. \"Younger people are no longer able to
\ncreate quality pottery products,\" explained Wayan Sweta, head of
\nthe Binoh Craftsmen's Association, Kriya Amertha.<\/p>\n
This is a result of young people's reluctance to follow their
\nparents into the pottery trade. Many of them prefer to work in
\ngovernment and private offices, and in the restaurant and hotel
\nindustries rather than becoming skilled artisans, Sweta said.<\/p>\n
Kriya Amertha was established three years ago by a group of
\nyoung people who were concerned about the future of Binoh
\npottery.<\/p>\n
\"They don't want to take dirty jobs such as producing pottery
\nlike the older generation,\" he said. Currently, there are just
\n40 elderly female artisans continuing to create pottery in the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
\"If we die soon, Binoh pottery will vanish as well,\" Rabig
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In addition to the regeneration problem, Binoh pottery also
\nfaces marketing difficulties. Before the economic crisis began,
\nBinoh pottery enjoyed quite a secure market. Local producers used
\nto receive bulk orders from hotels in Bali and elsewhere in
\nIndonesia as well as overseas.<\/p>\n
Since the Sept.11 terrorist attacks on America, orders from
\nhotels have dropped drastically, said Sweta. \"We are now relying
\non passers-by and brokers from the nearby Kapal village.\"<\/p>\n
In addition, most local artisans are finding it very difficult
\nto procure raw materials, including clay. \"We have to spend a lot
\nof money buying clay from the neighboring villages of Sibang,
\nPejaten and Darmasaba,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, the marketing of Binoh pottery has long
\nbeen dominated by local brokers called tengkulak, mostly middle-
\naged women.<\/p>\n
The role of these tengkulak has been extremely significant in
\ndictating the price, quality and distribution of each item
\nproduced. These tengkulak have intimidated local artisans by
\nthreatening them with \"black magic\" spells.<\/p>\n
\"If the artisans are brave enough to sell their products to
\nunknown brokers, the tengkulak will threaten to practice 'leak',
\nor black magic, on them,\" Sweta said.<\/p>\n
This explains why only 25 of the 40 artisans have joined the
\nKriya Amertha Association. \"We are considered the enemy of these
\ntengkulak,\" Sweta said.<\/p>\n
He added that it had been very difficult to persuade local
\nartisans to join the association. \"Many of them are trapped by
\nhuge debts so that they don't have any bargaining power,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sweta and his friends in Kriya Merta have no weapons to combat
\nthe tengkulaks' activities. \"It is a slow process that requires
\nsincerity and strong will from local artisans to free themselves
\nfrom any outside influence including these heartless tengkulak,\"
\nsaid Sweta.<\/p>\n
But time is running out. Something needs to be done
\nimmediately by people like Suweta to secure the survival of the
\ncenturies-old Binoh pottery.<\/p>\n
\"I have promised myself that I will preserve my ancestors'
\nlegacy. I won't give up,\" Suweta said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balinese-clay-potterys-last-bastion-1447893297",
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