Art Leather Maker

Posted by craft on

June 3, 2008

Leather puppet was popular with the common names of wayang kulit in Indonesia. Using leather as the material, usually leather puppets show it performance in many institutional celebration events as well as in both national and local television. In its progress, leather puppet has undergone many changes from its original figures since the 16th century. Some parts in Java are different in motifs and colors. As religious lecture instrument, leather puppet has been commonly used since Demak monarchy in the 16th century. Sunan Kalijaga succeeded and popularized its use as a media to introduce Islam religion in Java.

Nowadays, leather puppet show can be adopted to deliver social critics through its story and figures. Yogyanese and Solonese leather puppets show significant differences. Yogyanese puppet features emphasize on inlaid works, and Solonese is sharp in colors. If you want to have Yogyanese style leather puppet, you may come to Sugio’s. He is an art of leather inlaid works maker who lives in Gendeng, Bangunjiwo, Kasihan, Bantul, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

“Since 11 years of my age, I have learnt to make puppet inlaid works. My father was a leather inlaid works maker too,” said Sagio, owner of Ghriya Ukir Kulit when he was visited by Indonesian handicraft magazine. Sugio is the man who had been awarded with Upakarti from Soeharto, the ex Indonesian President in 1966 and art accolade from Provincial Government of DI Yogyakarta in 1989.

Sugio’s father, Jaya Perwita, was the one who trained him to be an art of leather puppet maker. However, he acquainted that the ability and accomplishment accustomed by his ancestor was not enough. In 1967, he broadcast his ability and learnt from MB Prayitna, who was expert in crafts of the Palace of Yogyakarta. His jobs makes him accept in called by the Indonesian Government to participate and display his vreated in the ‘Expo 70’ showed in Osaka, Japan. In fact, accomplished by RI Embassy, his ability in authoritative of Yogyanese appearance leather puppet has brought him to the Franc for 6 months tourist promotion in 1977.

The year of 1988 was a wonderful year for Sagio because of abounding orders accustomed for his creates craft from tourists. They frequently asked for leather puppet figures from epic of Mahabharata and Ramayana, such as Rama, Sinta, Lesmana, Wibisono, Kresna, Arjuna, Werkudoro and Gatotkaca. “I awash the puppet in about 50 to 75 US Dollar a piece,” he said. He mentioned that at that time he had about 50 employees. “But now, they are only 5 persons. About 75% of my consumers are tourists, and 25% is domestic consumers,”