Samarinda sarong being sidelined<\/p>\n
Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Thirty-five-year-old Tabbe was sitting before her loom, which
\nwas half her age. In the 1980s, the mother of three bought it for
\nonly Rp 250,000. Now and again, she loosened the yarn that was
\ngetting tangled. She also drew the weaving rod and pressed it
\nfrom time to time. A piece of cloth, known as Samarinda sarong,
\nwas ready not long after.<\/p>\n
This housewife of the Wajo ethnic group from South Sulawesi,
\nis one of the hundreds of weavers in the cottage-industry village
\nof Samarinda. Located in Mesjid district, Samarinda Seberang, the
\nvillage is mostly occupied by people of Buginese descent,
\nparticularly the Wajo Buginese. "We feel at home here, because we
\nspeak Buginese," she said.<\/p>\n
Better known as Kampung Pertenunan (weavers' village), this
\nvillage produces Samarinda sarong of commendable quality, also
\nwell known for its motifs and trim designs. For women, this
\nsarong is decorated with flower motifs while for men, it is
\ncheckered. First quality sarong uses fine and smooth yarn and
\nsecond quality is made from rather coarse yarn.<\/p>\n
In order to distinguish genuine sarong of Samarinda from
\nimitated products, buyers can test by sprinkling gasoline over
\nthe material and then lighting it. If the sarong does not burn
\ninstantly, it is a Samarinda original.<\/p>\n
The weaving industry, according to Tabbe, is a cottage
\nhandicraft industry passed down through the generations. But
\ntoday it is hard to teach children the craftsmanship so that
\nthere is fear of an imminent end of the village's weaving
\nhistory.<\/p>\n
"Local youths now prefer to work in the city, mostly in shops.
\nThey are reluctant to help us with weaving work," she pointed
\nout.<\/p>\n
Yet their unwillingness is not a matter of prestige. "Since
\nthe monetary crisis in Indonesia, yarn has become more expensive
\nwhile it is difficult to raise sarong prices. The kids who used
\nto help us have finally turned to other jobs because of meager
\nprofits," Tabbe said.<\/p>\n
Since 1997, prices of yarn from Java have gone up from the
\npre-crisis level of Rp 700,000 to Rp 800,000 for the first
\nquality to Rp 1.8 million and from Rp200,000 to Rp 300,000 for
\nthe second quality to Rp 600,000. Similarly, fine sarong,
\nformerly sold at Rp 60,000 a piece, now costs Rp 200,000 and
\nsecond quality has also risen in price from Rp 35,000 to Rp
\n80,000.<\/p>\n
"If we can sell three to four pieces a week, we are lucky. We
\nused to sell 10 to 20 pieces," she added.<\/p>\n
Iwan, 32, a local resident, recalled that before the crisis,
\nalmost every home in the village had three to four looms, with
\nparents and children weaving from dawn to dusk. "The sound of
\nhandlooms being operated could be heard from main roads," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Now the village has eventually changed. Only a few households
\ncarry on their weaving activities, each with just a single
\nhandloom. Most of the machines have been sold though some are
\nstill kept. And the village is getting more silent.<\/p>\n
"Most village people here are now helpless in facing the
\ndifficulty. So we have to sell the sarong ourselves because the
\nexisting cooperative can no longer be expected, while weaving has
\nbeen our traditional job," Iwan added.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, according to Iwan, many of them also have to sell
\nthe commodity to middlemen at lower prices. Those who refuse to
\nseek the help of middlemen usually await the arrival of visitors,
\nwho will try to find the typical product of Samarinda.<\/p>\n
Tabbe's loom was again clacking, along with the throbs of her
\nheart and the ticks of her clock. She resumed the weaving
\ncraftwork for the sake of preserving the tradition while racing
\nwith time.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/samarinda-sarong-being-sidelined-1447893297",
"image": ""
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