'Reog' makers keeping an art alive
By Kartika Bagus C.
PONOROGO, East Java (JP): Ponorogo, a small town in East Java, has always been linked to its traditional art form, reog. The mask-dance troupes have performed not only in Java, but also in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya, as well as in Malaysia and Suriname.
Reog is usually performed by means of dhadak merak (a peacock- plume crested tiger mask), gamelan musical instruments, special suits and masks. The tiger-peacock headgear is so graceful that it has become the main attraction of this outdoor dance.
The performance is based on the history of the Kediri kingdom in the 11th century but reog was already mentioned 300 years earlier in an epigraph during the Kanjuruhan kingdom at the province.
The dance is about a procession of Ponorogo's soldiers on horseback (represented by dancers riding on woven-bamboo horses) headed by commander Bujangganong (played by a masked dancer) to propose marriage to the king's daughter. On its way home, the troop was waylaid by Singabarong (portrayed by a tiger-masked dancer with spread peacock plumes) and his cluster of tigers. Ponorogo won the fight.
Tambakbayan village, in the middle of Ponorogo, is the center of production for reog equipment, despite the stagnant market. Raw materials are getting more and more expensive, due to the prevailing crisis, while the number of reog groups is not increasing.
One of the reog producers, Sarbani, admitted that the rise in raw material prices had forced him to increase the cost of his products.
"We have to sell a complete set comprising a dhadak merak, gamelan and costumes at Rp 15 million (US$1,550)," said the 52- year-old businessman, who has 25 years of experience in this craft.
The complete set comprises a 2.25 meter - 2.30 meter plume- crested tiger mask. The price varies according to the height of the mask as it will need more top-quality peacock feathers that have to be imported.
Each plume needs the feathers of 10 peacocks. If the businessman cannot afford to import the feathers, they buy them from Bojonegoro, Cepu, Blora, Probolinggo, Banyuwangi or Jember, all in East Java.
On average, Sarbani's production plant needs 10,000 feathers per month.
The tiger mask, which will be attached to the plume, itself costs Rp 5 million. The mask is cheaper if it is made only of tiger skin instead of an actual head.
"Many craftsmen even make imitations from cow skin at only Rp 500,000 per mask," said Prapto (35), one of Sarbani's employees.
The high price makes reog businessmen pessimistic about their business future. None of the six craftsmen in Ponorogo can sell more than four sets a month and most consumers prefer to buy off the shelf from stock instead of giving special orders.
Due to the state of the market, only large-scale businessmen have the capacity to meet buyers' demands.
Sarbani said this trade only produced small profits, but the motivation to carry on the tradition prompted them to work hard for its preservation.
As a solution, many of them make smaller reog sets for souvenirs. These products have unexpectedly managed to support the income of local craftsmen.
Designed as an interior decoration, the mini handicraft is sold at Rp 700,000 per set. It consists of a 30-to-70cm plume- crested tiger mask and miniature dancers and gamelan players.
In the meantime, the fate of small-scale businesses of reog hand-makers is wholly dependent upon the East Java administration's intervention in providing financial aid. At least, this folk art can still survive and be enjoyed, thanks to the arduous work of the craftsmen and artists involved.