Muntilan craftsmen create 'ancient' Buddhist statues<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post\/Magelang, Central Java<\/p>\n
Creating the appearance of antiquity in a newly made Buddhist
\nstatue made from volcanic rock is not too difficult a job for
\ncraftsmen at the stone craft center in Tamanagung village,
\nMuntilan subdistrict, Magelang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
With a few additional procedures, a newly made statue can be
\ngiven an antique appearance that can look quite convincing --
\neven to collectors.<\/p>\n
\"I used to have orders to make such products, but I haven't
\nmade one for a few years,\" statue craftsman Kasrin Endro Prayono,
\n64, told The Jakarta Post earlier this week.<\/p>\n
There are a few secrets, says Kasrin, for producing a newly
\nmade statue with an ancient appearance.<\/p>\n
After being carved according to the desired form, the surface
\nof the statue is hammered using a special tool known locally as a
\nkeprak to make small indentations on the entire surface of the
\nstatue.<\/p>\n
\"It is done to create the impression of natural aging,\" said
\nKasrin, adding that the same effect could also be created by
\npouring or smearing storage battery liquid onto the surface of
\nthe statue.<\/p>\n
To create the image of antiquity, the statue is then \"smoked\",
\nor burned using a welding blowtorch. A coloring agent made of a
\nmixture of turmeric and tea is also often used to make the statue
\nlook even more aged.<\/p>\n
\"Some craftsmen often prefer to bury the statue under the soil
\nto achieve the antique appearance but that takes at least two
\nyears,\" Kasrin said.<\/p>\n
Kasrin, the owner of Cailendra gallery, said that he produced
\nsuch products only to order.<\/p>\n
Also, he claimed to have never sold such a product as an
\nancient item. Rather, he sold them as works of art with an
\nancient appearance.<\/p>\n
According to Head of Borobudur Conservational Office Dukut
\nSantoso, there were indeed many ways either to make fake ancient
\nstatues or to give ancient ones a new appearance to enable them
\nto pass the customs checks at the airport.<\/p>\n
\"Some are done with such great sophistication that it is often
\ndifficult for even a collector to recognize the authenticity of a
\nstatue claimed to be ancient,\" Dukut said.<\/p>\n
\"Careful, scientific examination, however, can reveal the true
\nnature of a statue,\" Dukut said.<\/p>\n
Tamanagung is home to thousands of statue craftsmen.<\/p>\n
However, only some 200, including Kasrin, are large-scale
\nproducers, whose products are mostly exported. Of these, only a
\ndozen are known to be capable of creating statues \"from
\nantiquity\".<\/p>\n
If the one at Christie's, which was withdrawn from an auction
\nlast week, is proven to be a fake, then it could be the result of
\nMuntilan craftsmens' handiwork.<\/p>\n
Kasrin said some buyers, mostly based in Jakarta, often
\nartificially age some of his statues further.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, I can hardly recognize that they are my work
\nbecause they look so completely different from when I sold them
\noriginally,\" Kasrin said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muntilan-craftsmen-create-ancient-buddhist-statues-1447893297",
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