Ceramic wares are Klampok's claim to fame
By Agus Maryono
BANJARNEGARA, Central Java (JP): The housewives of Klampok village finish their chores and then head off to their side job, creating some of the best-known ceramics in the country.
Klampok has built its reputation on the production of high- quality ceramics. The village in Klampok subdistrict, Banjarnegara, Central Java, is known in many major cities.
Ceramics as a home industry has opened up job opportunities for thousands of people, particularly women, living in and around the village.
The making of clay crafts has been practiced in Klampok since 1950. The wide range of products available today include interior decoration items, vases, teapots, animal-shaped decorations, cups, stationery holders, plates, wall hangings, ashtrays and umbrella containers.
The products are distributed throughout the country and also occasionally exported.
A varied price list, ranging from the downright cheap to the expensive, is available.
The cheapest of the products are small souvenirs, such as ashtrays and ones in the shape of a palm or shoe, which are about Rp 500.
The most expensive, for about Rp 750,000, is a large jug; it and its lid are intricately decorated with Arabic calligraphy.
The process of making one article is long and involved, taking between two to three weeks.
One of those who earns his livelihood from the industry is Tri Mulyantoro. The 40 year old, who owns the Mustika ceramic center, told The Jakarta Post recently that he inherited the business from his father.
Business has been good to him and he said it funded the university education of all of his children.
"We now employ 35 people and fork out about Rp 9 million to pay them."
He said his three siblings were also involved in the business, following the lead of their father, H. Suparyo Marto Suwiryo, now 60, who founded it in 1974.
Tri said his ceramics needed special clay, which he purchased from Wonosobo, some 60 km from his residence, and from Banjarnegara. The clay must be gray in color and soft so it can be easily shaped. Clay of this type is only found in upper-lying areas with a low temperature.
Every month he buys 10 tons of clay, which is delivered to him every two weeks, each time in a truckload of five tons worth Rp 650,000.
"One truckload of clay is enough to make thousands of types of ceramic articles," he said.
Tri said the clay must be allowed to soak in water overnight, or about 12 hours, before it could be stamped underfoot. It is then sifted through an iron sieve to ensure that sand or gravel will be separated.
The clay is left to stand in a pool for two days and two nights to ensure the soft clay will settle.
It is then laid out to dry and solidify under the sun, which will be easier to shape. Under ideal conditions of a bright sun, the process takes two days.
It is ready to be made into wares, either through molding or by hand. The duration of the process depends on the size of the article. In the case of a pencil box the size of a glass, each maker can produce 300 ceramic boxes every week.
"However, each person can make only a maximum of three or four large vases, each measuring one meter high and 50 cm in diameter," he added.
The objects are decorated with motifs and left out in the sun for 15 days until completely dry. However, the length of time for drying also depends on the size of the object; large products can take much longer before the dampness is gone.
Once dry, the objects are smoothed over with damp sandpaper before the final process begins.
Firing
The objects are fired in special kilns, at a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees, for 24 hours.
Several large-capacity kilns are used, with thousands of small ceramics carefully arranged in each in an attempt to guard against any damage occurring in the process.
Larger kilns are used for the biggest objects, such as jugs and vases. The heat comes from two sides in a process resembling baking bread.
The cooling-off period, when the kilns are switched off and the objects left to stand, lasts about 36 hours.
The ceramics are then removed and selected according to their quality. The best products will be wiped clean with a piece of cloth before being put directly on sale.
Others which show slight flaws and are not up to standard must be painted or glazed first, usually with ordinary paint used for wood or cars. They are then returned to the kiln, fired once more, and then removed, cleaned and put on sale.
The products then make their way across the country, and sometimes to shops in distant lands. So the next time you purchase a ceramic object, take a second look to see where it comes from. It may well have been made by the industrious women of Klampok.