Ancient pottery tradition survives in Cirebon

By Mulkan Salmona

CIREBON, West Java (JP): Sitiwinangun is just one of any number of small and anonymous villages, 15 kilometers east of Cirebon.

But, only a few people know that the village is an ancient center for the production of precious and unique earthenware and ceramic pottery with distinguished designs.

Every morning, a number of elderly men and women engross themselves in their habitual work -- producing household utensils.

The 60-year-old strongly muscled Sarinten looks gorgeous. Her arms are still strong enough to fetch buckets of clay from the nearby river. She carefully mixes clay and sand. A skillful artisan, the grandmother shapes the clay into various shapes and sizes.

In a different corner of the village, another old woman, Mbok Wasmi, is busy polishing a clay pot using a piece of wood, while her feet keep rotating a traditional potter's wheel.

An old man vigorously makes a man-sized water urn. To decorate the clay container, he carves certain designs and motifs on its sides.

Despite the laborious and time-consuming work involved, people rarely appreciate the value of the villages products. Each item costs only between a few hundred and several thousand rupiah.

To many villagers in Sitiwinangunan, producing pottery is more than just a profession. It has been a centuries-old tradition which they have faithfully preserved up to the present day.

Ceramic artist Bonzan Eddy Rochasli Adisetyo said that based on the existing designs using floral and animal motifs such as the jasmine flower, tumpal and sulur, (types of root), untu walang (grasshoppers), Cirebon pottery might have its origins in the pre-historic age.

"It is a pity that we have no records or evidence to support this theory. We may need further study on Cirebon pottery," Bonzan said.

Presently, the village's potters, mostly the elderly, produce simple and rough pottery for household needs, like water jugs, rice containers, cups and vases using painstaking traditional techniques.

It has long been believed that anyone who wants to enter the pottery-making business must undergo a series of rituals. He/she must walk around the sacred tomb belonging to Ki Jagabaya three times carrying stones. While performing this ritual, the person must hold his or her breath. If he/she manages to carry a big stone, it means that he/she will be able to produce large items. On the other hand, if he/she is only able to carry smaller stones, it is his/her destiny to produce small items.

As times change, many villagers, especially the youth, have started to abandon this tradition.

Technological development has already penetrated the life of these decent people. Some members of the village's younger generation have proven that the ritual is not all true. Many of them have not yet performed the ritual, yet have already mastered the art of pottery making.

Thanks to the help of a dedicated foundation and Bonzan, many of the local youth have been encouraged to acquire the skills and talents of their ancestors in creating artistic pottery.

"Most of the local artisans are old, while the members of the village's young work force prefer to make ends meet in the big cities. We are afraid that Cirebon pottery could become history," said Bonzan.

To motivate the youth to enter the pottery industry, in l991 Bonzan decided to move his ceramics studio from Bandung to Sitiwinangunan village.

"I have learned a lot about pottery-making from them and have only helped them modify the designs so as to make their products more market-oriented," said Bonzan, a graduate of the Fine Arts Department of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

Sitiwinangunan's youth should be proud of their products. In addition to producing traditional Cirebon-style pottery, they are also able to produce contemporary ceramic products with eye- catching designs.

"I challenged them to show off their talents in Jakarta, and they enthusiastically welcomed the idea," said the artist.

Bonzan will bring their creations to be displayed at Kompas's Bentara Budaya center in Jakarta in the middle of February.