Japanese professor shows his love for Bayat pottery

By R. Agus Bakti

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Chitaru Kawasaki, a ceramics expert from Japan, fell in love at the first sight with a set of plain yet unique pieces in an exhibition in Japan more than ten years ago.

"I saw a very specific form of pottery and learned later that it came from a small village from Central Java," he recalled.

The ceramics were crafted with a very simple technique by villagers of Pager Jurang of Bayat in Klaten, Central Java.

Fascinated by the distinctiveness of Bayat ceramics, the 62 year-old Kawasaki, professor of arts from Kyoto Seika University in Japan, decided in the early 1990s to visit Indonesia to learn more about Bayat pottery.

He went to the Ceramics Development Center in Bandung to find more information about ceramics manufacturing in Indonesia, Bayat ceramics in particular.

The professor traveled to numerous ceramic centers in Java and other islands before he finally settled in Pager Jurang village where he meticulously conducted a thorough study starting in April 1999.

He found that Pager Jurang pottery bears distinguishing characteristics. The technique, which he calls the slanted technique, is seldom found in other regions. "I have been to ceramics centers in the whole of Java."

The slanted technique is a method of making ceramics placing the wooden mold in an oblique position, with an inclination of about 60 degrees.

"I think this technique was developed to accommodate the village culture of wearing batik clothing," he said.

The slanted technique is especially used by women who wear the jarit, a long batik cloth wrapped around the waist. The wood to turn and shape the clay is put in a slanted position to facilitate women wearing the jarit to work.

Knowledge of the technique is rare and the professor is eager to study and preserve it.

The Pager Jurang village is a second home for him. He has assimilated with the villagers. He joins them in crafting ceramics.

He believes the village's pottery products have potential for design and quality improvement.

Pak Chitaru, as he is called amicably by the inhabitants of Pager Jurang, gives an example of a characteristic ceramic piece, the kendi (water jug) used by the villagers.

The kendi has a long neck with two spouts shaped like bubbles.

Such design is estimated to have existed since the coming of Islam to Java. The design resembles artifacts found around the graveyard of Sunan Tembayat, an Islamic leader in the area.

The bubble spout design is also found on some reliefs at the Borobudur temple. It is believed that the design was derived from Islamic and Buddhist motifs and ornaments.

It is unknown when ceramics were first crafted in Pager Jurang.

"The kendi of Pager Jurang is simple in design, but it is attractive behind its simplicity," said Pak Chitaru.

During his one-year stay in the village, he established a joint cooperation with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the Universitas Negri Sebelas Maret (UNS) in Surakarta and some local non-government organizations to establish a Bayat community involving local ceramic makers.

Through the community, the professor transferred his ceramic techniques to the local ceramic producers, mostly female workers.

The villagers have for years divided their jobs -- the females produce pottery and the males sell them to nearby markets.

He has been teaching them methods to produce high quality work with improved designs and decorative ornaments.

The village's ceramics are still produced from simple, traditional methods. The firing process is inadequate to produce a durable product.

He also showed them how to make marketable products such as dinnerware, tea sets, plates, ashtrays in addition to the famous kendi water jug.

"The demand for their products will grow if they diversify their products," he said, showing a cup. He uses the cup every day.

He also introduced a glazing technique to add glare and improve the surface of the ceramics.

"By improving the quality of the ceramics I hope the products will have more value," he explained.

No less important in enhancing the quality of ceramic products is the firing method.

Pak Chitaru has designed a special kiln for the villagers to enable them to fire their products at higher temperatures.

Formerly, ceramics were only fired with wood at about 100 degrees Celsius. With the new kiln, ceramics are fired and dried at a temperature of more than 1000 degrees Celsius.

So far, the professor has taught the villagers more than 20 new ceramic designs.

Works from Pager Juang will be exhibited in a number of cities. The exhibition starts in Jakarta from March 10 through March 17, at Bentara Budaya. Then it goes to Bandung, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.

"I will also bring Pager Jurang ceramics to Japan. There will be a seminar, an exchange of information," he said.

He says he has gained many experiences during his one-year stay at Pager Jurang like the warm welcome from the local inhabitants.

His family in Japan strongly support his activities in Indonesia. He is married to Kawasaki Kayo, 58. The couple have three children: Ciko (a daughter), Takutsue (a son) and Aomi (another daughter). His only son has joined him in Pager Jurang.

His presence has brought luck to the villagers according to Bu Sumosumarto. She said Pak Chitaru is widely accepted as a family member by the locals.

"Even before he came to settle here he once invited the Pager Juang ceramic makers to join him in an exhibition. He demonstrated the making of ceramics in Japan," she said, adding that he is kind and sociable but he is hampered by his language skills.

It is unfortunate that by the end of March 2000 Pak Chitaru must return to his country. Although he will no longer be at Pager Jurang, he has promised he will continue his support to the community and to continue promoting their products in Japan and worldwide.

"We are developing a strong friendship through art and culture," he says.

The community does not need to worry. Pak Chitaru will make the ceramics of Pager Jurang popular. He has left a message that the village life must remain as it is, even if the village is developed into a tourism site thanks to their ceramic products.

"If the objective is limited to developing tourism it will not last. If this village is popular as a ceramic center, it will not only benefit Pager Jurang but also Indonesia as a whole," he said.