Kotagede HS Silversmith
Jogjakarta is more than a plane stop to visit Borobudur. The words “craftmanship” and “silversmith” peaked our interests after an online search. Shane and I always enjoy exploring the arts and crafts scenes of any local places we visited. The staffs at our hotel highly recommended a visit to Kotagede HS Silversmith. It is our main destination to our Walking Tour that I have written in my previous post. We were a little skeptical when we walked into the entrance of the silversmith gallery and showroom because it looked run down. It wasn’t the most promising; but inside was what counts.
Workshop
Nia, our charming English speaking hostess greeted us at the entrance. She brought us to the workshop to see how their artists worked and produced their silver jewelries pieces. There were several sections , each one crafting a specific part of a jewelry. A group did the frame work, i.e. a bracelet while another concentrated on adding the filigree inside the frames. It was a very tedious and immaculate work because one must have patience and precise handling of the thin silver wire. The human touch was so important for this craftwork. I worked on rocks and added fine dots and crystals on my art pieces. These artists have my appreciation for their skills. They spent hours bent over a piece to produce an end results that was so dainty and unique to the culture of Indonesia and Jogjakarta.
A Little History of Kotagede
Kotagede is situated in the heart of Jogjakarta city, Indonesia. It was the first capital of the Mataram Sultanate, which was established in the 16th century. Remnants of this era can still be seen in and around the city. The silver craftmanship was once only dedicated to the royal palace. However during the Dutch occupation, it was turned into an industry for Kotagede. We discover places here on our own. Here is a LINK if you are interested to join a tour and get to know more about the historical sites.
Souvenirs from Kotagede HS Silversmith
Kotagede HS Silversmith produces jewelries and art pieces mainly in sterling silver besides gold and copper. The silversmith arts industry here is characterized with their flower motifs derived from it’s ancient Hindu tradition. Shane bought me a pair of earrings. The design was inspired by the stupas in Borobudur temples. He also surprised me with a beautiful filigree bracelet <3 Had I been given the chance, I would sit with the artists and learn this craft from the beginning to the finish product! There are also modern designs for the tourists. I bought a pretty filigree heron brooch for my sister-in-law. It reminds me of the blue heron that visits her pond every day in spring and summer.
More write up to do after our visit to Borobudur Temples.