Craftsman gives bird cages aesthetic touch

Ridlo Aryanto, Contributor, Yogyakarta

A bird cage is more than just a place to house exotic singing birds. In the skilled hands of bird cagemaker M. Bashori, it becomes a beautiful creation.

In creating his work, the 38-year-old bird cagemaker does not simply make a cage, but he gives it a touch of Javanese culture, which won him first prize in the bird cage category at the Songbird Contest last month.

In the event, some 2,500 participants from across the country flocked the city to win Yogyakarta King's trophy. The event's judges came from the Indonesian Bird Lovers Association (PBI).

"It's really a priceless gift from the committee and the palace for a simple cagemaker like me," the father of three said.

His bird cage was praised by the king's brother KGPH Prabukusumo for its engraving which has Javanese cultural nuances.

"Please make one that is even better and I'll give it to Ngarsa Dalem (the king) as proof of your dedication," Prabukusumo said when handing over the prestigious trophy.

In his cages, Bashori features Javanese ornamentation or elements of the culture of other provinces.

According to the craftsman, the cultural touches are his way to show his spirit of nationalism.

"I was just trying to counter the overwhelming presence of imported bird cages from China here," said Bashori, who started his business in 1991.

While the imported designs feature engravings of goddess Kwan Im (goddess of mercy) or are inspired by the tale of eight gods or Sun Wukung, he makes bird cages engraved with stories taken from shadow puppet plays like Karna Tanding (Karna's Duel).

"This way my cages will have a wide market in Indonesia," said the former student of the Indonesian Islamic University's school of syariah.

His bird cages are made out of teak while the bars are made from bamboo.

"As a native of Kota Gede, which is famous for its silver, copper and goldwork, I always add silver or copper ornamentation to my cages. But because the materials are expensive, we cannot sell our cages at low prices," Bashori said.

Prices of the bird cages range from Rp 750,000 to Rp 5 million each. Despite the monetary crisis which hit the country in 1997, he claims that at that time he could still sell some 400 cages per month across the country.

"Today I can sell at least 25 to 30 cages per month with a gross income of some Rp 25 million a month," Bashori said in his showroom in the east section of Ngasem bird market in Yogyakarta.

He blamed the drop in sales on the mushrooming of imported bird cages, which are far more expensive although the quality is more or less the same as locally made ones.

"People are strange. They prefer imported goods although the price is much higher. It is true that in terms of finishing and workmanship, Chinese goods are better than ours, but in terms of precision, ours are better. Moreover, our designs are richer. I can introduce new designs every 10 days for a maximum of five cages. I must maintain the cages' exclusiveness," he said.

"Indonesia is rich in folklore. I have created bird cage ornamentation with engravings based on tales from Asmat to Aceh, from Jayaprana to Sangkuriang," he said.

His unique cages have made some foreigners come in to buy -- not to keep songbirds, but bring them back to their home countries.

"In their countries, they (the foreigners) do not like to keep birds in cages, so they buy my works to decorate galleries or cafes. Usually, they would add a lantern inside the cage. This can be a promising market in the future and although only small numbers of my cages are taken abroad, I'm happy because in a way, I am helping to introduce our culture abroad, through my bird cages," said the man who is assisted by nine wood engravers and acts as a patron for some 50 cagemakers in neighboring cities like Surakarta.

"For craftsmen coming from outside Yogyakarta, I usually provide them with designs and sizes. Then, I'll buy unpainted cages with refined engraving at Rp 350,000 per piece," said Bashori, sharing his secret.

For the specially commissioned bird cage for Yogyakarta's king, he already has something in mind.

"I will prepare an exclusive bird cage with ornaments unique to the palace, along with the palace's coat of arms. I've heard Ngarsa Dalem will include this cage in a cultural exhibition in Germany later this year. If that's true, it will be like a second blessing for me."