In Indonesia, the things to look for, the things to hunt are not only the natural attractions like beaches, and then tropical jungles, or maybe the historical buildings. Many people, especially the ones who came from aboard would like to spend their money to buy the Indonesian traditional crafts.
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As you can imagine, with the rich amount of natural possesions, Indonesians can turn them into a good stuff with their imagination and creativity. Thus, the kinds of souvenirs were created and then keep being develop until now. So here it is, the Indonesian traditional crafts that you can see below :
1. Batik Crafts
The first craft that Indonesian people created in the first time than the other people on the other country is Batik. Of course some of you already know the name of Batik. Batik is specially made cloth that people use something called Canting.
Kinds of Batik is also not only made by that canting, but with the printing tool. It’s not the ordinaty print tools for printing paper, but the tool can suck the painting that has the colourful colour, and then just put it right on the white cloth. Thus, stamped batik created.
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2. Wayang or Leather Puppets
And then, there’s Wayang Kulit or Leather Puppets. Puppets in Indonesia actually hae two types, this leather puppets and also the golek puppet, which has the three dimentional form. Usualy the golek puppet came from Sundanese culture.
While this leather puppet was originated in the area of Central Java province, especially in the cities like Solo, Magelang, and Yogyakarta. The original leather puppet will cost you hundred thousand to millions rupiah. But, the non original only cost for about Rp50.000,- to hundred thousands.
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3. Wood Crafts
And then there’s also wooden crafts. Remembering that most the areas of Indonesia covered with green tone of the forests, the people who live around it can processed the natural sources, to be the souvenirs that have high value.
The people usually use the simple tools like a hammer and a little bit long one for carving. Many countries claim that the wooden carvings in Indonesia are very beautiful, in the way of look and also meaning. The artsist giving their passions to each one of the wooden crafts made by their own hands.
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4. Silver Crafts
Beside the natural wooden crafts, Indonesians can also made something out of the silver. Indonesia also one country that has some of the best silver mining spots. Until now, the locals still giving their efforts to bring some of the silvers from there, and then processed into some things.
For example, the center of silver crafts in Indonesia which is Kota gede in Yogyakarta, is known for having large collections of beautiful silver crafts. Even though some producers started to make them with a machine, the result of a hand made siler crafts look more colourful and non straight.
5. Metal Crafts
To be an affordable alternative for the silver or golden accesorry, some people would rather order them that made out of metals. Many people, especially from East Java province in Indonesia can make very beautiful accesorries from them.
If you want to go to the best place that have so many metal crafted accesorries, you can see the area of East Java and look for Bangil in Pasuruan city. There are so many things that you can choose, starting from a cup, to the wonderful earrings.
6. Bamboo Crafts
The next craftings is the bamboo crafts. Beside forest, there’s the other areas filled with bamboo. In the village, usually there will be some wide areas that have so much bamboo. People of Indonesia also share their creativity through this material.
The firstly processed the bamboo into thin and and long sheet, and then start to eave them to make some stuff like lamp cover, home utensils, and also chairs. The priceof them will be much bigger, usually by their size, more bigger the size is, the price will be more expensive.
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7. Ceramics Crafts
Even though the ceramics are not originaed from the land of Indonesia, but the quality of them that made by the Indonesians can be said very good, if you compare them to the original ceramics producers, China.
In the world market, the ceramics from Indonesia can compete with the other high quality products still. Just like the Chinese products, mostly the people in Indonesia are making flower vase, ceramic jars, statues, and the other stuff.
8. Leather Crafts
The next one is leather crafts. Aside from the known Wayang Kulit, the people in Indonesia who processed a leather to be some useful stuff like belt, shoes, or bags, are talented people that can compete with the other artists in the world.
Many people love this stuff, because by using leather, clothing will be much valuable than using the usual materials. Jombang is the famous city that has so many people in it who can be said experts in leather crafts. Their products can even enter the world market, where there are some famous countries that also producing leather crafts like America and some countries in Europe.
9. Woven Cloth Crafts
There’s one thing that can be used as a difference between the traditional cloth making in Indonesia and the other countries, is this weaving technique. The woven cloths are hand made cloth, processed by mostly woman in Indonesia.
Then, the wove cloths are usually used for the home decorations, and just for decorating dress. But now, the functionality of woven cloth keeps increasing, to be the stuff that can be used for shoes, decorations, and also some expensive dresses.
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10. Stone Crafts
Also, the people of Indonesia can processed theo other hard to process material, like stone. Carving stones is a traditional way of making status in Indonesia, exiss firsly long time ago, even in the Kingdom Era, which most of kingdoms always had their own artists to make the castles more beautiful.
Now, there are also some craftmen who also produced some of their best stuff to their clients. Usually, they told them to make the statues that usually used for decorations of places like hotels, homes, and also some attractions in the city.
11. Rattan Crafts
For you who don’t know it, the rattan crafts which is originated from the Lombok area are now start spreading to the world. The tourists who visited Lombok before are actually feel interested about the making of them and the actual products.
Many people would like to visit Lombok because their products are one of the best ones out there in the world. But if they can’t go to Lombok because of so many reasons, they can check some of the rattan producers that located nearest to them.
12. Shell Crafts
Mostly found on the beach sand, many people thought that the shells are only a waste of the sea, and cannot be used for anything. But, by the creativity and much effort,one can turn that waste into one valuable product that has a very big price.
That’s what people in Indonesia do, they turned the shells into the other stuff, which look so pretty and very natural in the form of lamp cover, jar, and even wall clocks. The shell crafts can be a good things to collect, especially for the people who love the sea that much.
13. Fish Bones
Just like the shells above, the fish bones which usually been thrown away after eating are also can be processed. Surprisingly enough, some people in Indonesia can make some action figures with the fish bones as basic materials.
They creatively built one with much precission and carefulness, and finally they can created a one of a kind action figures. The craftsmen in Ubud Bali which are very creative, make this works and sell them to the tourists. Many people from abord love it.
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Examples
After knowing the huge number of souvenirs in Indonesia, it’s not complete if we’re not talking about the examples of them. So we made another list here that containts about the 12 examples of Indonesian traditional crafts.
- Arca or Relic Crafts
- And the examples of Indonesian crafts are : Bamboo Puppets
- Wooden Diorama in Papua
- Golek Puppet
- Beber Puppet
- Gerabah
- Vuya Wood Crafts
- Sumbanese Woven Cloth
- Grinsing Cloth
- Rangrang Cloth
- Toraja Cloth
- Lurih Cloth
The list of Indonesian traditional arts ends here. So what kind of craft do you want to buy to complete your collections? You can easily get them in your nearest souvenirs shops that located around your hotel.
If you happen to have a very tight budget, but you really want them, then you can switch to another way, which is make them yourself. You can ask the producers if you can join in to make a souvenir together. Usually, the locals will accept itin order to give a respect to you.
