INDONESIA, is a country full of an abundance of natural resources. The fertile soil allows for cultivating with ease vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices, woods and other plants that fit in Indonesian climate and area.
Beside the natural wealth, Indonesia is also aglow with local arts, making Indonesia an intriguing country with various languages, cultures, and unique places, to be found in every corner.
JEPARA, one of the places, a region in Central Java Province, with an area of ~24,67 km2 and 1.3 million people live in it, many of them artisans. Jeparanese carving or Jepara carve is an arts originating from Jepara city. Jepara is known locally as The carvings city, and internationally as The world carvings city. Its carving product is famous and loved by many people around the world, therefore Jepara is well known in the world as carving producer. No doubt, Jepara produces carving products with export quality.
Various type of woods are used, engraved and carved to make Jepara Carves and arts, such as :
- Teak wood (kayu Jati), a very strong and hard type of wood genuinely from Indonesia. This wood is mostly used by the artisans in Jepara, because of the good quality among the other wood types. The colors produced by this wood are white, yellow, brown and black in the core, a sign that the wood is old
- Mahogany wood (kayu Mahoni), this type also used by the artisans and grow plentiful in Indonesia, although the origin of this wood is from West India. Mahogany wood has white color outside and red inside the core if the wood is old
- Chinaberry wood (kayu Mindi), this is an alternative wood that is used by the artisans in addition to teak wood. From the color and appearance, chinaberry wood has yellowish to brown color, yet the price and quality is rather below the teak wood
- Rosewood (kayu Sonokeling), this type has quality as good as teak wood, and grow plentiful in Java Island. In Javanes this wood also known as Sonobrit or Sonosungu or the black wood. The rosewood fiber is beautiful and has product excellence in termites, as good as teak wood
Carving art is not easy, it needs qualified material, special skills and also love. Loving the arts, is loving the profession. Everything that made with love will come back truthfully to the art viewer, making a beautiful art masterpiece. This what we call “Witing Tresno Jalaran Soko Kulino”, a javanese saying means “Loving because we get used to it“.
This is the expectation from the carving artisans in Jepara. Whoever seeing the carvings will know the significance, look closely over and over, and the eye relish the magnificent arts, that leads to falling in love.
The displayed arts have a message that the precise cut, sincerity, and veracity of love are able to make an outstanding art to its viewers.
“Witing Tresno Jalaran Soko Kulino“
“loving because we get used to it“
Look closely to our arts, and love will present..
