Decorated lamps give villager better life

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A whole range of lamps can be found in the market, from slim, simple models, to ones which are solid and ornately decorated.

There is also the robyong, a kind of decorated hanging lamp distinguished by its design of branches. It was once a must in the homes of the nobility and is back in fashion; the difference is that today it uses electricity instead of kerosene.

Rosmani, 55, is proud of being a lampmaker in Wonosari, Gunungkidul regency, Yogyakarta. It is now a rare profession but he enjoys the profits from his work.

At first glance, the design of the lamp appears European, but Rosmani explained that his lamps bore typical Javanese motifs and ornaments.

After gaining experience in a metal factory, he started making the lamps in 1990. "All I wanted to do was raise my standard of living," he said.

With initial capital of Rp 1.5 million, he bought some pieces of equipment and aluminum as raw material. A number of lamps, mainly heirlooms from his parents, served as models. He imitates the motifs of the lamps, which are similar to reliefs in temples and from batik.

"It took me two years to study the making of robyong lamps. Finally I found the right way and method," said the father of three.

He uses aluminum because it is light and easier to hang from the ceiling. For example, if a lamp made of iron weighs three kilograms, an aluminum lamp weighs only one kilogram.

Aluminum also does not corrode. The aluminum is smelted to allow the designing of the motifs. The process involves molding, casting, filing, painting, adjusting, finishing and firing. Molding and casting are the most difficult part of the process.

"If the casting is not carefully done, the result is also less pleasing. The motifs will be crude," he said.

It is not hard to obtain aluminum from traders in Semarang and Surakarta. The crystal used in the lamp is from Jakarta. When he started his business, the raw material cost Rp 1,500 a kilogram but today it is Rp 12,500. "The price of aluminum went up to Rp 20,000 at the time of the economic crisis (in 1998)," he said.

The crisis also brought him good fortune because he received orders in greater quantities from abroad. Production was formerly 350 lamps a month; during the crisis it increased to 600 to 700 based on orders. The lamps are exported to the United States, Australia and even Italy, a country famed for its crystal lamps.

The local market is Jakarta, Bandung, Bali and Yogyakarta. Wholesalers in the areas assist him in the marketing.

Prices vary from Rp 150,000 to millions of rupiah a piece, depending on the type of the lamp.

The lamps can also be given color although people formerly preferred natural colors, such as earthy tones, Rosmani said. It is up to individual taste, however, with some consumers preferring green, silver or chrome.

A robyong lamp with more than two branches can hold extra teplok (kerosene-filled lamps). If there is a blackout, the extra lamp can be lit. It has an antique appearance, evoking the past when homes did not have electricity.

Ten years after he started his business, Rosmani now owns a plot of land and a rice field, and is able to pay his workers a relatively high Rp 7,500 each a day.

Apart from his specialization in robyong, Rosmani also designs other types of lamps, such as table lamps, wall lamps and garden lamps. New types of work are always opening up and he is currently working on an order from Australia to design cowbells. (R. Agus Bakti)