MOVES are afoot to re-establish the prominence of the distinctive bamboo products of Lombok’s well-known handicrafts village of Gunungsari.Only a few minutes from Mataram’s Selaparang airport, in the border area of West and North Lombok regencies, Gunungsari is widely known for its woodcrafts and for the berugak – Lombok’s traditional grass-roofed and open air relaxation structure – as well as bamboo products which today are being challenged by competitively-priced wooden crafts.
People travelling the inland route from Mataram to Lombok’s north-west coast via the mountain pass near Pusuk village get to see roadside arts shops around Gunungsari which display local bamboo works such as tables, chairs, lamps and as a range of souvenirs.
The village’s decades-old bamboo craft industry initially produced practical household items such as bedek (walls of bamboo), keraro (baskets), ponjol (rice containers), bamboo mats and bosang (a fishing tool).
The development of world tourism saw the Gunungsari bamboo artisans expand their range of products from those meeting domestic needs into a selection of handicraft works with high artistic value, such as lampshades and wall hangings, which appealed to tourists seeking souvenirs of Lombok.
The Gunungsari bamboo craftsmen responded to Lombok’s tourist boom of the Eighties by developing their work into a major supporting industry of their village economy.
Although their market has recently been eroded by wooden products, the artisans continue to use their readily-available raw material and innovative spirit to create new designs and motifs in bamboo.
“Sometimes it is not us but the buyer who determines a new design and model for us to develop,” said bamboo artisan Hasan. Demand from both domestic and international markets has brought some growth in the production of functional items such as tables, chairs and ladders.
“Items such as chairs, tables and other furniture are exported to many Asian countries including Japan and India,” said local businessman H Dan. “There also is demand from European countries such as Holland and Switzerland.”
While prices set by the local craftsmen are diverse, they are generally low with a set of chairs selling for around Rp500,000. However, said H Dan, marketing had not been so easy lately because of competition, especially in local markets, from good-quality, durable timber products in a wider variety of designs.
A set of timber chairs might sell for the lower price of Rp200,000 to Rp300,000, he said. Fortunately, the industry is sustained by many consumers who prefer bamboo goods for their artistic value and distinctive appearance.
To protect the future of the bamboo handicraft industry of Gunungsari, local government is preparing regulations which will give prominence to marketing the industry.
There also are plans to schedule regular training to encourage new and enriched product designs and models to further generate consumer interest and to maintain competitiveness with other regional products.
West Lombok’s Industry and Commerce head Joko Wiratno said the bamboo artisans would always be included in suitable exhibitions.
source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
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