Polka hatmaker keeps Dutch tradition alive

By M. Achadi

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Dutch colonial legacy usually survives in the form of old buildings, sugarcane factories, trains, bridges and fortresses. But in Yogyakarta, the Dutch left behind the art of hat-making.

The "polka" hat used to be a style only worn by the colonial masters. Over time, it became the official hat for sugarcane and railway company officials working for the Dutch.

Muntaha, 71, is the only living polka-maker in the old city. He is a former independence fighter in 1949 grouped under Hizbullah, a guerrilla unit, in Surabaya and Yogyakarta.

He said he learned the craftsmanship from a Dutch friend who adopted a Javanese name, Tjipto.

"I have forgotten his Dutch name. I remember people called him Tjipto," said Muntaha, who was born in the Central Java town of Blora.

Together with two friends, Muntaha took a five-month course in polka hat-making in the early 1950s. Ever since he began making polka hats he has marketed them under the brand name Helmet Tjap Singa.

In the past, most of his customers were employees of sugarcane plantations, sugarcane factories, the railway company and government officials like subdistrict chiefs, regents and governors.

Now that the hat is no longer the monopoly of the employees, he has renamed the trademark Topi Cap Garuda.

"I don't know whether the two friends of mine are still making polka hats. I don't even know their whereabouts," Muntaha said.

Since 1951, Muntaha has lived on Jl. Ibu Ruswo 66, about 500 meters east of the Yogyakarta Palace. He turned his house into a hat shop he calls Toko Necis, selling hats of various models and brand names.

A small hand-made polka hat designed for Indonesians and Asians in general costs Rp 75,000, while the bigger version designed for Europeans and Americans costs Rp 125,000.

The materials needed for making a polka include paper, thick sponges, cotton and woolen fabrics and leather. The hat is shaped like a safety helmet with the top part being made of a mixture of paper, serlak (a varnish-like preparation) and wood glue.

After the top part is pleated into the shape of a terraced helmet, then the surface is smoothed with a piece of sandpaper.

The next process is covering the surface with cotton material. The cloth is either pleated or folded in such a way as to form small folds. The inner part of the hat is covered with sponges and woolen cloth. To make it more stylish, a leather strap is added as an accessory.

"In the past I used synthetic straps for the accessory, but I I was criticized by my customers. They said it was not good and deprived it of its old fashion look."

Due to his old age and poor health, the father of five now needs more time to make the polkas.

"I need five days to make a single polka now. I used to need only two days," said Muntaha, adding that he made the hats and sold them all on his own. His wife and all five children are dead.

"A grandchild often helps me here. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have any interest in this profession. He is just like any other relatives of mine. No one wants to inherit my skill to make a living," Muntaha said.

Desperate to have assistants, Muntaha once trained several people in the art of polka hat-making only to find that none of them were talented.

"The training was useless. I have realized I have to do everything myself, but should not work beyond my capacity," said Muntaha.

As a result, he often refused large orders for polkas. "I refused to take an order recently for 2,000 polkas. I do not have the energy to make so many hats," he said.

For the same reasons, he has closed his door to businesspeople who try and persuade him to make polkas for export. A Dutch man once came and asked him to live in the Netherlands to concentrate on making polkas there.

"He said there was no more polka makers in his country and only a few people had the hats. I refused it. I'm too old and sickly," Muntaha said.

Muntaha's customers are mostly tourists and include fans from the Netherlands, Australia, Pakistan and India. Locals buy polkas only for special purposes, such as the recent election campaign.