Many of the traditional handicrafts of Lombok are still being made for domestic use today. There are also a number of traditional markets that service local buyers rather than tourists so Lombok is a great place to enjoy an authentic market experience and maybe even by pick up some traditional, hand-made bargains without the usual tourist mark ups.
Pottery
The village of Banyumulek, in the Kediri district of Mataram, is one of three major pottery making centres in Lombok which have received world wide recognition for their quality and unique designs.
Hand made pottery has been produced in Banyumulek since the 16th century and today, 80% of the village’s inhabitants are engaged in producing pottery using methods which have been passed down through generations.
The women and children of the village collect the clay from the base of the surrounding mountains using simple tools and then it is left to the women to make a variety of pieces, from pots and plates, to jugs and vases to storage containers and cooking utensils. These days a number of decorative and ornamental pieces are also produced to meet popular demand. However, all pieces are still hand-thrown, without the use of a potter’s wheel, the women occasionally using a round stone or wooden paddle to help shape their wares.
The men then fire each item using the traditional burning technique of straw and firewood and then the children help to paint and decorate the finished product using dyes often (though these days not always) made from certain varieties of fruit and leaves. One other unique feature of this production method is that nothing is made to a pattern or a set format, each piece is as individual as it’s maker.
Basket Weaving
Rattan, like bamboo, is a versatile plant that can be used to make a wide variety of durable products from bags and baskets to stunning pieces of furniture. And best of all, it is fast growing and ecologically sustainable.
Although some very nice examples of rattan furniture are produced in Lombok, basket weaving is a traditional skill which has been handed down from generation to generation for many centuries.
Beleka village in the Praya district of West Lombok is the oldest and largest producer of hand made wicker baskets.
This traditional craft typically involves several families or a large network of one extended family in the production process. One group of family members will focus on collecting and dying the rattan ready for use. A second group specialise in basket-making while a third will carve out various wooden figures, usually small animals such as lizards or fish, which will be used to decorate individual items. For or such a time-consuming and labour-intensive process, the finished products can be purchased direct from the makers for a fraction of the price you might pay in the shops.
Songket
Songket is a traditional fabric weaving technique that involves threading strands of gold or silver through hand-woven silk or cotton to create a shimmer effect against the background cloth. The technique is believed to have originated in the 9th century in Sumatera but it’s exotic and luxurious appearance saw it’s popularity quickly spread through the royal courts of Java, Bali and Lombok and each island eventually developed it’s own motifs and designs.
As in other parts of Indonesia, the songket of Lombok is often intricately patterned but some of the more beautiful pieces use plain cloth, allowing the gold and silver thread to stand out elegantly against the naturally dyed, hand-woven fabric. Songket is woven by hand using a wooden loom and one piece of cloth can take three to four weeks to produce.
The village of Pringgasela, at the foot of Mt Rinjani in East Lombok, is the island’s premium songket producer and the craft has become an essential part of village custom. Before a girl marries, she must weave a piece of fabric for her future husband as a symbol of her love and devotion. Although the skills that are used to create songket cloth have traditionally been passed from mother to daughter, it is now common to see men also learning the weaving technique.