American Indian-inspired crafts no mere decorations

By Kartika Bagus C.

YOGYAKARTA (JP): American Indians are legendary among those that admire them even though they have been alienated and often subjected to cruel treatment at the hands of Europeans.

American Indians, who used to be the main population on the American continent, are now divided into 350 tribes. Some of the more famous ones in the northern part of the continent are the Mohawk, the Oglala, the Sioux, the Apaches and the Sashewatch while those in the southern part of the continent include the Incas, the Maya, the Aztecs and so forth.

In the past, these Indian tribes were famed for their warrior skills as they would enter fierce battles using very simple weapons. They could defeat their enemies and take on much better armed European soldiers. Understandably many believe that the objects that were used by these American Indians had magical powers. Consequently, many have developed a penchant for collecting these items.

However, the American Indian-inspired handicrafts found in Yogyakarta will give you a different impression. The items don't impress as being particularly mystical or magical but they are very attractive and exotic. They may even look better than genuine American Indian items. At least this is the impression that one may get from the American Indian-inspired handicrafts on display at the Seniman Muda Indonesia Group (Group of Indonesian Young Artists) showroom in Yogyakarta.

In this showroom, a visitor can see statues of famous American Indian chiefs like Geronimo or Sitting Bull. Some of the statues are life-size complete with all the accessories around their bodies. There is even a statue of an Indian warrior on horseback with his bow and arrows slung across his back and a tomahawk in his hand. The statue is imbued with heroism and closely resembles a living person.

Hendra S, an artist and also the group's manager, said he first got the idea to make uniquely American Indian handicrafts in a gathering with fellow alumni from the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta. "That was some time in 1998. Finally we have this group," he said.

These American Indian handicrafts are quite difficult to make. Before making one, a person must first master the art of sculpture and then he or she must have detailed knowledge about the American Indians in order to have a good reference for the life-like statues.

Hendra said that he and his friends had collected detailed references about particular tribes. "A friend once studying at Kansas University also helped us," said Hendra, a 1993 ISI graduate.

After studying the background sufficiently, a model of a statue -- from head to toe -- is made from clay. During this process, the craftsman will muster all his skills, paying attention particularly to details on the face and the body's contours.

The finished model will become the master copy and will be used to produce a mold. Then silicon is applied throughout the mold for the final duplication work. Afterwards, melted fiberglass is poured into the mold. The product of this mold will then be formed into the final work.

By the final production stage, the sculptures have been worked on by some 80 workers. The finishing touches will be applied through a baking process intended to smoothen the sculpture and give it the color of human skin.

"However, parts of the sculpture will intentionally be left in its original color," said Hendra, who is also a lecturer at an arts institute in Surabaya, East Java.

The presence of accessories will make the sculpture complete. In fact, the process of adding accessories will determine the success of a handicraft. The additional accessories include coconut-based ornaments, dresses, saddles, bows and arrows, necklaces and so forth. All of these accessories are mere imitations to ease the licensing process when the handicrafts are to be exported.

These Indian-inspired products have now been exported to places such as Australia, Mexico, Singapore and Spain. Domestically they are marketed in Jakarta and Bali.

"We are always running out of stock and those interested to buy these Indian handicraft products must first place an order," Hendra said.

For ordinary people, these handicrafts are expensive. A statue, for example, is sold at between Rp 1 million and Rp 5 million. One type of accessory will cost between Rp 10,000 and Rp 70,000.

Efforts are always made to maintain the quality of the materials used to make these handicraft products.

"We have now four more craftsmen. They are freelancers and help our four permanent handicraftsmen."

Hendra and his colleagues are now considering to make these handicraft products more than just decorations.

For instance, they are working to make a statue of an Indian woman as both a decoration and as a lamp frame, which will look very nice indeed when it is placed either in a sitting room or a bedroom.