'Reog' makers keeping an art alive
'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.