Yogya woodcarvers sell Asmat statues

YOGYAKARTA: Woodcarvers in the Bantul district have been running a brisk export business selling statues replicated from the Irian Jaya Asmat tribe, Antara reported.

Kliwat, one of the entrepreneurs running an "Asmat" statue business in Pucung Pandowoharjo village, said he has been exporting between four and five containers of statues a month, netting Rp 50 million (US$3,300) to Rp 60 million.

In contrast, before the crisis he was lucky to manage two containers, worth Rp 25 million to Rp 27 million, a month.

He said 70 percent of the products are going to Europe and the rest to the United States and Canada.

There are 40 "Asmat" statue-making entrepreneurs in the village, each employing about 10 to 30 woodcarvers, he said, adding that the others had also seen rising overseas orders.