Ancient pottery tradition survives in Cirebon

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.