Foreigners regular clients of Soedarmono's royal carriage

Foreigners regular clients of Soedarmono's royal carriage

Text and photo by Ahmad Solikhan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): There was a time when carriages were the
symbol of reigning Javanese kings. These carriages, even though
they had local names, were ordered from the Netherlands.

Among the important carriages there was the Singa Barong, an
heirloom of the Prince of Losari, the founder of the Kasepuhan
Palace in Cirebon, West Java. This carriage was made in 1649. The
Kyai Garuda, a legacy of the Kasunanan I of Surakarta, Central
Java, was made in 1700. There was also the Kyai Garuda Yaksa,
owned by Sultan Hamengku Buwono VI of Yogyakarta. Made in 1869,
the Kyai Garuda Yaksa, is still used for the coronation of kings
in Yogyakarta Palace.

Times have changed. The power of the Javanese kings has
declined politically and no more carriages have been ordered.
Carriage makers in Europe have also ceased to exist.

But in Proliman village, Tamanmartini, Kalasan, Sleman,
Yogyakarta, there is a workshop called Rijtuigfabriek (Dutch for
carriage factory), which was established in 1952 and is owned by
Parto Soedarmo. It still produces horse carriages similar to the
ones owned by the Javanese palaces.

"Horse carriages must be conserved because they have
historical value," said the 70-year-old Soedarmo.

He said that it takes six or seven months to make a horse
carriage and all its equipment -- including the oil lamps and the
horses' apparel -- and requires seven to 10 workmen.

"In order to maintain quality, each workman has to work on his
own specialty," said Soedarmo who pays his employees between Rp
7,500 and Rp 10,000 a day.

The basic material for a carriage is wood. The body of the
carriage is made of old, solid, choice teakwood (tectona
grandis). The spokes of the carriage wheels are made of waru wood
(haibiscus tiliaceus) while the ornaments are made of walikukun
wood (aetinophora buurmani fragrans).

A carriage requires steel for the springs, the axles and other
parts. The steel comes from discarded ships at the harbor in
Semarang, Central Java, and from scrap iron markets where it is
sold for Rp 500 per kilogram.

"Scrap iron is stronger than the steel produced today," said
Soedarmo.

After the steel is heated, it is forged, and springs, axles
and other parts are shaped. The making of springs and axles
requires one to two weeks. A set of springs can fetch a retail
price of Rp 500,000.

For a horse's apparel tanned buffalo hides are needed. The
leather is priced between Rp 15,000 and Rp 25,000 a meter and is
made into a head decoration, saddle and reins, rear cover, the
yoke to pull the horse and other things.

In order to make the apparel more attractive, it is decorated
with brass, said Soedarmo.

One set of apparel requires 25 square meters of buffalo hide,
and a month of work. One set is sold for between Rp 1 million to
Rp 2 million.

A simple horse carriage without engravings and accessories
costs about Rp 8 million. A luxurious one like the keraton
(palace) chariots costs around Rp 40 million.

"In the hands of brokers, a keraton chariot can fetch prices
up to Rp 200 million," said Soedarmo.

The making of keraton carriages is more intricate. Apart from
the engravings in the wood, the wheel caps, the axle covers, the
oil lamps are made with magnifying glass and lined with engraved
brass. The back door and the upper part of the carriage are also
layered with engraved brass. A pair of brass lamps is retailed
for Rp 400,000 to Rp 2 million.

"The more intricate the shape and model of the oil lamps and
other accessories, the higher the price," said Soedarmo, a father
of five.

The majority of buyers come from abroad. Some clients from the
Netherlands like imitation Victorian-style carriages. Orders also
come from Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia. Popular among buyers is an
imitation of the Singa Barong carriage of Cirebon and a number of
palace carriages in the Yogyakarta and Surakarta style.

Last July Soedarmo filled an order from a Dutch national for a
Singa Barong carriage for Rp 40 million. It is 2.77 meters high,
1.79 meters and 4.97 meters long. It is drawn by four to six
horses.

"The carriage is now on exhibition in the Nationaal Rijtuig
Museum in the Netherlands," Soedarmo said proudly.

Soedarmo only manages to fill one order a year for such a
carriage due to the intricate manufacturing process. Clients wait
in line to have their orders filled.

Apart from producing carriages, Soedarmo also repairs horse
carriages like the andong used for tourist transportation.
Soedarmo's workshop has also made repairs on carriages from the
Yogyakarta and Surakarta palaces.

History

Soedarmo has been in the carriage business since 1942 when he
was 15. He got his skills in carriage manufacture from his
father, who worked in a workshop in Barengtengah village, Klaten,
Central Java. The workshop supplied equipment and spare parts for
horse carriages and old automobiles.

Sutomartoyo and his son opened their own workshop in Jatinom
village, Klaten. After a few months the Japanese army came and
Soedarmo was taken by force for romusha (involuntary labor)
during the three years of Japanese occupation of the country
(1942-1945).

"Only in 1952 did I really start with my workshop," Soedarmo
said.

Like other traditional workshops, the one owned by Soedarmo is
not special in appearance, it is an old building on 800 square
meters of land, serving also as the family's residence.

The equipment used is also simple, nearly the same as the
tools used at the time of the workshop's opening. There is a
traditional furnace to heat steel with manual equipment. Only the
carbide welder and the electrical drill show that the workshop
has entered the modern era.

Apart from making new carriages Soedarmo also renovates old
ones. He looks for old carriages everywhere, repairs them and
offers them for sale in star-rated hotels.

"The older a carriage, the more expensive it is," he said.

Although there are prospective buyers abroad for the
carriages, the regional administration and the local police do
not like the workshop. Soedarmo has been asked several times to
close his workshop. Officials say that keraton carriages should
not be imitated because they are sacred heirlooms of our
ancestors.

"If this workshop is closed, what must I do?" Soedarmo
complained.

The workshop is much frequented nonetheless. Customers place
orders for carriage parts for their collection of antiques. Teguh
Saputra, 29, from Sleman, Yogyakarta, recently ordered a pair of
carriage wheels for Rp 400,000.

"I am going to use these wheels to make an antique chair at
home," said Saputra.

Soedarmo intends to expand his business, but no financial
institution or rich businessman has the inclination to lend him
the money.