Islamic pictures light up Ramadhan
Islamic pictures light up Ramadhan
Agus Maryono and Amin A. Abdurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Purwokerto
The fasting month of Ramadhan in Islam is often called Syahrul Mubarak, a month of bountiful blessings, or one that is full of virtue and gain.
Apart from its spiritual benefit in the form of multiple rewards for righteous deeds by devout followers, Ramadhan also generates financial gain.
In pecuniary terms, many people make a profit during Ramadhan through selling foodstuffs, clothing and other articles, with an upsurge in earnings being common. Likewise, transportation services are all booked out in the run-up to the Idul Fitri post- fasting holidays.
Picture-frame craftsmen are no exception. One of them is Sumarso (40), a designer of frames for paintings, calligraphy, religious pictures and antique photos. He hails from Teluk subdistrict, South Purwokerto district, Banyumas regency, Central Java.
He said his goods were selling well in the fasting month, particularly paintings with religious themes and Arabic calligraphy. "They also sell in other months, but business is not as brisk as it is these days," Sumarso told The Jakarta Post.
In the first week of Ramadhan, "five pictures of the Ka'bah (shrine in the Great Mosque in Mecca) as wall decorations were sold, although they cost Rp 400,000 to Rp 500,000 each," he continued.
The Ka'bah photos, depicting the building with crowds of haj pilgrims praying around it, are set in frames measuring 1 meter by 80 centimeters, complete with lamps to make them look like a real nighttime view of the holy shrine.
"We only display and sell pictures in our showroom here, and people come to buy or order them," he said, adding that if they displayed frames on the sidewalk, serious buyers would regard them as low-quality products.
"So we only do our business in this shop and knowledge about our products spreads by word of mouth," added Sumarso, who says he has been involved in the picture-framing business for about 10 years.
The lamp-equipped Ka'bah photo frames were originally designed to meet an order from a customer who had just returned from the haj. "He wanted the picture to appear more like the actual evening scene," recalled Sumarso.
After making fruitless visits to galleries to find the type of pictures his customer wished to have, Sumarso began a process of creative exploration until the idea of placing neon lights behind the color prints struck him.
"A special technique is, of course, required to make the neon rays focus on certain parts of the structure, such as the mosque dome and the lamps around the Ka'bah, so that the sight looks exactly as it does in real life," he said. ; ANPAv..r.. Photo- Photo caption JP/
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His customer was very satisfied with the work and spread the word to many other people, who later visited his studio. "Some of them ordered novelties while others looked at a number of Ka'bah pictures before finally buying them," recounted Sumarso.
With demand rising in the Muslim holy month, "we have had to work hard and have hired five more workers. It's important to have the pictures ready before Idul Fitri, as ordered," he stressed.
A complete set took at least three days to finish. "The most time-consuming stage is the lamp arrangement, followed by the frame- making. Some buyers want gorgeous frames while other are satisfied with modest ones. It's a matter of price," he said.
By the middle of Ramadhan, around 10 of Sumarso's Ka'bah photo sets had been sold. "Though they are just pictures in frames, with proper lighting behind them they look real," he concluded.