Balinese Life
From Duckling Baskets to Interior Accessories

If you make a visit to a traditional market, you will find many kinds of baskets. One may use them to carry shopping goods, or duckling sellers to transport their “living merchandise.” Up to now, the wide use of baskets can still be found in the village. Other kinds of bamboo baskets that are still in use such as those belong to kitchenwares, cubical hats, fish containers, offering containers, lobster and shrimp pots, and so forth. They are all originally made for a functional basis.

In the era of tourism, many kinds of handicraft are made to meet the demands of visitors. They are various jewelleries, interior goods, furniture, bags, those mentioned above, and many more. This interest makes people more and more creative, not only in terms of items but also designs. Nearly all villages in Gianyar and Bangli Regency nowadays have their own superior handicraft products. Some other villages throughout Bali also develop and support this handicraft industry. So, besides working in rice fields villagers can also take a freelance job to join in this handicraft work. They take orders from the wholesaler and work it at home. Certainly, it is an added value for them.
Numerous typical products of art and handicraft have become like a ‘brand’ for the respective villages. For instance, Belega Village may be already known for its bamboo furniture, Celuk for its gold and silversmiths, Mas and Tegalalang for its woodcarvings, Batubulan for its magic sandstone sculpture and Ubud for its magnificent paintings (all in Gianyar). Other villages are Tihingan (Klungkung) for its gamelansmiths, Tenganan (Karangasem) for its ata (a kind of creeping plant) handicraft and assuredly, there are many more villages that have distinctive treasures to explore.
Rapid development in handicraft industry like this could not be separated from the utilization of mechanical tools and enterprise climate created by the authority. People now can work faster than ever and yield more products and financial assistance is available for small-scale industry. Last but not least, it is driven by creative and skilled human resources behind it as well.
Now, let’s go back to the past for a while. In the rice field, at least, one or two decades ago many farmers still ploughed their soil by means of traditional ploughs drawn by buffaloes or cows. But, when the hand tractor took over this work this tool was flung away from the rice field. Moreover, the land has undergone a high transfer of function into the tourism infrastructure. In the long run, the land and those who work at it are getting lesser and lesser. So, it remains their tools only.
Don’t be surprised if one day you find the duckling basket is used as an artistic table in a luxurious villa in the midst of verdant rice fields and the plough is displayed for exterior accent. Then, many ‘art brokers’ will come exploring the villages to find more antiques left by the farmers, turning these old handicrafts into antiques. (BTN/Punia)