Craftsman gives bird cages aesthetic touch

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."