Rural craftsman stands test of crisis

Heru Prasetya, Contributor, Yogyakarta

He started his business from scratch. But thanks to his perseverance and dedication as a craftsman, Sujiman has seen his yearly turnover reach about Rp 1.5 billion.

The achievement is especially impressive because Sujiman, who lives in Bobung hamlet of Gunungkidul regency, some 28 kilometers southeast of Yogyakarta, is an elementary school graduate.

Sujiman makes a wide range of products, from toys, statues and keyholders to jewelry boxes -- all made of wood for both the local market and for export.

The father of two children is but one of almost 90 percent of Bobung residents, some of them very successful, who make a living making handicrafts. The hamlet of 463 people is known as a tourist village for its handicraft industry.

The residents acquired their skill from their ancestors. Long before the village became a center for handicrafts, it was well- known for its dance mask tradition. This explains why it has become what it is today.

In the past, masks used in the dances were made by local residents on a limited basis for fear that their products would be imitated.

One version has it that in the past, masks were made imbued with magical properties and that only certain people were capable of making them. The masks were said to have magical power.

Masks used in the dance were of classical styles such as Klana Sewandono, Klana Sepuh, Klana Sura Pamujo and Pentul Tembem.

In the course of time, the dance mask was lost to pop culture, especially dangdut (popular music with strong beat reminiscent of Hindi and Arabic music).

Sujiman's success story began after a tragedy in the early 1970s when a house where classical dance mask materials were stored caught fire. All was destroyed but a single mask. It was only slightly burnt and was sold to someone.

Inspired by the mask he had sold, Sujiman began making a replica.

"I had only a chisel and wood taken from the house yard as the initial capital," Sujiman said.

In 1973 he ventured to sell his works in Yogyakarta, offering them from one shop to another. Each time he went to Yogyakarta he brought with him about 20 masks wrapped in a table cloth.

"Each cost Rp 250 at that time. Sometimes the masks sold well but sometimes no one bought them. I would consign unsold masks in shops with a profit sharing arrangement," Sujiman said.

He hawked his masks door to door until 1975 when orders started to come.

Sujiman, previously used to do the whole work alone, starting from procuring the raw materials, carving the wood to selling the products. As business grew, he then started to recruit his neighbors as employees, training those who had no basic skills in wood carving.

In 1979, beside masks, Sujiman began to develop other products such as toys called Loro Blonyo. Loro Blonyo is a model of a Javanese bride and groom sitting with legs crossed.

In the traditional Javanese community, the icon is placed in a bedroom, as a symbol of family harmony. Now it has become a household accessory, which can be put in the living room, veranda, and even in hotels.

In the 1980s the craftsman added other models to his woodwork, namely animal figures such as cats, tigers, elephants and birds. In 1982 he developed his wooden masks from the classical to modern ones.

Sujiman is aware that innovation is key to his business survival so he innovates all the time. He has turned his house into a showroom.

Prices of his products range from Rp 2,500 for a key holder, Rp 35,000 for a large mask to Rp 4 million for Mongolian wooden statues. He has several remaining classical masks made in the 1970s which carry a price tag of Rp 1 million.

He keeps one classical dance mask that he vows he will not sell. He recalled a westerner offered him Rp 15 million for it but he rejected the offer. "I will not sell it because I like it," Sujiman said.

Sujiman's wooden products have been marketed in many major cities -- Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Solo. He also takes orders from various countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.

"My monthly turnover was about Rp 121 million last year. Before the economic crisis began (1997), my profit margin was between 30 percent and 40 percent. But, it is lower now," Sujiman said.

Sujiman used to obtain the raw material locally but now he has to seek supplies from Central and East Java.