Denpasar, In the City

I Made Puja
Denpasar's Unique Silver Ware Producer

There are many villages in Bali popular because of the trade of silverwares. Take some examples of Banjar Poh Manis and Desa Penatih Dangin Puri, both located in East Denpasar City. Celuk, located 10 km away from Denpasar to the east, has been a most prominent silverware-producing village with smiths working out of home industries are scattered almost everywhere. Many of the silver products attract a lot of consumers, including overseas tourists.

Mr. I Made Puja (38) is one of the silver craftsmen in Celuk (Sukawati Sub-Regency, Gianyar Regency), who is not only highly skilled in the industry but also markets his products through his own company known by the name of “Kerajinan Perak Lestari” (“Eternal Silver Handicraft”). He is a graduate of Denpasar’s SMSR Senior High School of Art of Painting and Sculpture but he has chosen a quite different profession related to the production and trading of silver.
He told Bali Travel News recently that he has been involved in the silver business since childhood which led him to the serious step of opening his own shop in 1992. At the beginning, his parents trained him to be skilled in the craftsmanship to work later in his parents’ shop, while Puja’s friends supported him in establishing his business to produce silver goods including the opening of his shop, ‘Kerajinan Perak Lestari’.
His products are unique with regard to the motifs which are quite different to those produced by other traders. He creates new designs every three weeks. “I have made use of motifs originating from the ornamental style of Balinese carving (bun samlung) combined with the so-called jawan style,” the father of three sons said, adding he also characterized his works with style of plaited bamboo known among Balinese as bedeg, a design favored by 1980s’ consumers.
There are 125 workers engaged in his workshop to produce the silverware in five phases from welding up to polishing. They produce exclusive and quality articles specifically made to satisfy the U.S. market upon order, Puja said. He added his products are not on sale by others’ art shops or by hawkers in Bali.
Due to his superb works he produces, I Made Puja informed us that he has succeeded in gaining top position in many contests such as the best design at Bali’s level in 1996 and being ranked first among Bali’s and Denpasar’s small-scale silverware entrepreneurs in 2001. The Governor of Bali, Dewa Made Berata (2002) and ‘Dekranas’ National Handicraft Council of Bali Chapter, Mrs. I.B. Oka (1996), are among his most notable visitors.
Prior to the Gulf War (1991), hundreds of his products went to American clients. The Black October Tragedy suffered by Bali had not caused a fall in sales, but a drop of about 50% has taken place due to the present (2003) U.S. / British coalition’s invasion to Iraq, I Made Puja said finally in his interview with Bali Travel News. (Budarsana)