Craftsman gives bird cages aesthetic touch<\/p>\n
Ridlo Aryanto, Contributor, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
A bird cage is more than just a place to house exotic singing
\nbirds. In the skilled hands of bird cagemaker M. Bashori, it
\nbecomes a beautiful creation.<\/p>\n
In creating his work, the 38-year-old bird cagemaker does not
\nsimply make a cage, but he gives it a touch of Javanese culture,
\nwhich won him first prize in the bird cage category at the
\nSongbird Contest last month.<\/p>\n
In the event, some 2,500 participants from across the country
\nflocked the city to win Yogyakarta King's trophy. The event's
\njudges came from the Indonesian Bird Lovers Association (PBI).<\/p>\n
\"It's really a priceless gift from the committee and the
\npalace for a simple cagemaker like me,\" the father of three said.<\/p>\n
His bird cage was praised by the king's brother KGPH
\nPrabukusumo for its engraving which has Javanese cultural
\nnuances.<\/p>\n
\"Please make one that is even better and I'll give it to
\nNgarsa Dalem (the king) as proof of your dedication,\" Prabukusumo
\nsaid when handing over the prestigious trophy.<\/p>\n
In his cages, Bashori features Javanese ornamentation or
\nelements of the culture of other provinces.<\/p>\n
According to the craftsman, the cultural touches are his way
\nto show his spirit of nationalism.<\/p>\n
\"I was just trying to counter the overwhelming presence of
\nimported bird cages from China here,\" said Bashori, who started
\nhis business in 1991.<\/p>\n
While the imported designs feature engravings of goddess Kwan
\nIm (goddess of mercy) or are inspired by the tale of eight gods
\nor Sun Wukung, he makes bird cages engraved with stories taken
\nfrom shadow puppet plays like Karna Tanding (Karna's Duel).<\/p>\n
\"This way my cages will have a wide market in Indonesia,\" said
\nthe former student of the Indonesian Islamic University's school
\nof syariah.<\/p>\n
His bird cages are made out of teak while the bars are made
\nfrom bamboo.<\/p>\n
\"As a native of Kota Gede, which is famous for its silver,
\ncopper and goldwork, I always add silver or copper ornamentation
\nto my cages. But because the materials are expensive, we cannot
\nsell our cages at low prices,\" Bashori said.<\/p>\n
Prices of the bird cages range from Rp 750,000 to Rp 5 million
\neach. Despite the monetary crisis which hit the country in 1997,
\nhe claims that at that time he could still sell some 400 cages
\nper month across the country.<\/p>\n
\"Today I can sell at least 25 to 30 cages per month with a
\ngross income of some Rp 25 million a month,\" Bashori said in his
\nshowroom in the east section of Ngasem bird market in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
He blamed the drop in sales on the mushrooming of imported
\nbird cages, which are far more expensive although the quality is
\nmore or less the same as locally made ones.<\/p>\n
\"People are strange. They prefer imported goods although the
\nprice is much higher. It is true that in terms of finishing and
\nworkmanship, Chinese goods are better than ours, but in terms of
\nprecision, ours are better. Moreover, our designs are richer. I
\ncan introduce new designs every 10 days for a maximum of five
\ncages. I must maintain the cages' exclusiveness,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is rich in folklore. I have created bird cage
\nornamentation with engravings based on tales from Asmat to Aceh,
\nfrom Jayaprana to Sangkuriang,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His unique cages have made some foreigners come in to buy --
\nnot to keep songbirds, but bring them back to their home
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"In their countries, they (the foreigners) do not like to keep
\nbirds in cages, so they buy my works to decorate galleries or
\ncafes. Usually, they would add a lantern inside the cage. This
\ncan be a promising market in the future and although only small
\nnumbers of my cages are taken abroad, I'm happy because in a way,
\nI am helping to introduce our culture abroad, through my bird
\ncages,\" said the man who is assisted by nine wood engravers and
\nacts as a patron for some 50 cagemakers in neighboring cities
\nlike Surakarta.<\/p>\n
\"For craftsmen coming from outside Yogyakarta, I usually
\nprovide them with designs and sizes. Then, I'll buy unpainted
\ncages with refined engraving at Rp 350,000 per piece,\" said
\nBashori, sharing his secret.<\/p>\n
For the specially commissioned bird cage for Yogyakarta's
\nking, he already has something in mind.<\/p>\n
\"I will prepare an exclusive bird cage with ornaments unique
\nto the palace, along with the palace's coat of arms. I've heard
\nNgarsa Dalem will include this cage in a cultural exhibition in
\nGermany later this year. If that's true, it will be like a second
\nblessing for me.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/craftsman-gives-bird-cages-aesthetic-touch-1447893297",
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