Carving Civilization

 

Name     : Amaliyatul Hidayah Rofiq

NIM      : 21.03.52.0003

Class     : A1

Lecturer : Mrs. Agnes Widyaningrum, S.E., S.Pd., M.Pd.

Subject  : Indonesian Culture

Theme   : MID TEST “Expository Essay” about Culture and Human

 

KARTINI AND CARVING

 

As an archipelagic country that has a very long history, Indonesia has a very diverse cultural wealth that spreads from Sabang to Merauke and from Miangas to the island of Rote. This well-managed cultural wealth then grows into local wisdom and potential, which is one of the characteristics that distinguishes it from other regions. One area that has a distinctive culture is the Jepara Regency, whose carving art began to develop in the sixteenth century when Queen Kalinyamat was in power. The great role of Queen Kalinyamat can be seen in the carved ornaments found in the Mantingan Mosque, which was built in 1559 AD.

The development of this carving art then found its momentum when Raden Ajeng Kartini began to develop it as a handicraft industry. Because in 1898, when she was not even 19 years old, RA Kartini sent her work and also the work of her two younger siblings, R.A. Rukmini and R.A. Kardinah, to the National Exhibition of Women's Works, or Nationale Tentoonstelling voor Vrounnarbied, in The Hague, Netherlands. Among the items sent by Kartini to the exhibition were two paintings of natural scenery that framed the carvings.

Jepara, tulip flower wall decoration, bird wall hanging in satin fabric in bamboo frame, glass painting, painting with stil rococo wooden frame, 9 seashells with paintings, and 6 carved bambooThey also presented a piece of batik cloth and the process of batik, along with all the tools needed for making batik, accompanied by an inscription on how to do batik. The success of RA Kartini in this exhibition in the Netherlands then became an inspiration for developing crafts in Jepara such as carving, batik and various other crafts.

In the history of the development of Jepara carving, RA Kartini's role in this field gained important momentum because the Dutch East Indies government in 1929 established the Openbare Ambachsshool or Carpentry School with a major in carving decoration. It was at this school that young craftsmen in the field of carving were educated. This school in 1959 was developed into STM Decorating Carving as requested by President Soekarno when he visited this carpentry school in 1952. President Soekarno also invited three well-known carving artists to the State Palace to make various carving ornaments.

These young craftsmen, who graduated from the Openbare Ambachsshool school and later STM Decoration Carving, became the first generation to develop carving into handicrafts in the form of a business by acculturating various ornaments. Because besides teaching Jepara motifs, this school also teaches other carving motifs such as Mataram, Majapahit, Pajajaran, Yogyakarta, Madura motifs, and balls. The art of carving then developed until Jepara became known as a producer of wood carvings and was even later known as the City of Carving. Because the results of Jepara carving made it into almost all regions in Indonesia, the art of Jepara carving then entered the international market with the development of a variety of applied products in the Postugistan style, Company style, French style, Reflective style, and Yan Kee style.

The opening of this international market began in 1989 when the international exhibition, the Jepara Handy Craft Exhibition, was held in Bali. Buyers of Jepara carving, who usually make transactions in Bali, gradually began to come directly to Jepara, so that Jeparal carving art was able to enter 170 countries in the world. The art of carving then developed rapidly until, starting in 1998, it was able to become the largest contributor to GRDP, namely 30.07% at constant prices. The second contributor is the agricultural sector, which contributes 20.07 percent. The large contribution of the processed wood sector to GRDP is due to the art of carving, which later became a source of livelihood for the majority of the population of Jepara after agriculture. Jepara then made a tagline as Jepara the Word Carving Center.

In the city of Jepara, carving has become part of the culture, economy, art, politics, and society that have long been formed and are inseparable from its historical roots. Due to the carpentry skills that were inherited, jepara carved furniture has a fairly long history. hereditary. This habit also seems to have been honed and developed following the development of an increasingly advanced era. Jepara carving craftsmen are people who are trained to make Jepara carvings by maintaining the details of each carving object. One application of these carvings is in the art of applied carving that appears on household appliances, such as cupboards, tables, chairs, and so on.

Jepara carving has a characteristic that shows that the carving comes from Jepara. The most famous motif of this city carving is the Trubusan Leaf, which consists of two kinds. First, the leaves that come out of the stalk of the niche. Second, the leaves that come out of the branches, or internodes, of Jepara carvings can also be seen in the tassel motif, where the leaves open like a fan and then the ends are tapered. There are also other characteristics: three or four seeds at the base of the leaf. In addition, one of its distinctive features is the recessed stalk, which rotates in an elongated fashion and spreads to form small branches to fill the space and beautify it. Jepara carvings have an accommodative nature to maintain balance and harmony in the living environment of the general public. This is very important because Javanese people prioritize harmony in their daily lives. The art of carving is also a way to show the attitude and personality of the people in coastal areas that are more open.

However, in later developments, there were many threats to the preservation of the Jepara carving art, starting from the absence of schools that specifically teach carving skills, the reduction in natural preservation by craftsmen, the wood trade system, the emergence of many competitors in various regions and even countries, the emergence of a manufacturing industry that could absorb a lot of labor in Jepara, the income of craftsmen is low, the interest of the younger generation is decreasing, and the inclusion of other carving motifs, so that there are no buildings that have carving ornaments except the Jepara Regency pavilion. Although Jepara has long been known as the City of Carvings and later created a new tagline, Jepara the Word Carving Center, in terms of architecture, which is one of the characteristics of the city, carvings are not visible on government-owned buildings and other public facilities.

Therefore, to maintain the preservation of Jepara carving, the Jepara Regency Government issued Regent Regulation No. 10 of 2014, Provision of Carving Ornaments on Buildings and Other Buildings Owned by Local Governments in Jepara Regency. In this Jepara Regent Regulation, it is stated that every building owned by the Jepara Regency Government up to the village level must be given carving ornaments. Meanwhile, private buildings and other government-owned buildings are expected to be able to adjust to this policy. 

Source by :

1.      1.  https://symbianplanet.net/seni-ukir/.html.  Seni ukir : Beserta, Pengertian, Sejarah, Motif. Kamis, 13 September 2020

2.      2. https://indonesia go.id/ragam/seni/seni/seni-ukir-jepara-berkelas-dunia . Seni Ukir Jepara Berkelas Dunia Kamis, 13 September 2020

htt  3.ps://youtu.be/7UugJj-XbT4

3.      3. Priyanto, Hadi. 2010. Kartini Pembaharu Peradaban. Jepara : Forsastran Jepara. 

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