Pejaten the Name, Pottery the Game
Pejaten. It’s a name that seems so familiar and yet one you probably would not be able to so quickly recall. If you reside in Bali perhaps you need look no further than your roof, especially if you have an orange tile roof like tens of thousands that are sprawled across the island, and then closer inspection may reveal the word Pejaten delicately stamped onto each tile.
Pejaten itself is a small village in Tabanan, located inland from Tanah Lot and where the coastline gives way to idyllic rice fields and neatly swept villages. As you wind further into the heartland of Bali you begin to come across small buildings surrounded by mountains of coconut husks and hundreds of tiles drying in the sun. We followed the small signs to 'CV Pejaten' and parked in the middle of the village, near the Pura. Picking our way delicately through the rows of tiles laid out on the ground, we headed towards the work area where the tiles were being pressed.
Slabs of clay from the local surrounds that are still wet are placed on the press and each tile is neatly pressed out in the shape of the form. Working deftly, the two ladies on duty remarked that they could process 400 tiles a day if they weren’t busy elsewhere.
Once pressed, the tiles are arranged on wooden drying racks. If the weather is favorable they will stay inside drying for 2 days, then one more day outside in the sun. Given that the recent rainy season had produced some heavy downpours, I wondered how this was affecting production. It seems it would be all hands on deck rushing the tiles inside before the rain rendered the unfired tiles hancur or dissolved.
The series of kilns dotted around the landscape are fired up once sufficient tiles are produced and dried. They are delicately stacked on top of each other until the kiln is full to bursting. Around 7,000 plain tiles can be fired at one time or 4,000 of the decorative tiles with the flower motive. Wood and coconut husks are used to produce the intense heat needed for the firing, and the tiles are baked for up to 12 hours.
Side by side with the tile production area is the factory of CV Keramik, where small teams of men and ladies sit producing the delicate ceramics the area has become famous for. The small work space hums with activity as each works on either the wheel or the fine figurines that are attached to tiny bowls, teapots, incense burners or large platters.
A cluttered little shop faces the road and the public can visit and purchase direct from the factory. It is possible to head downstairs to where small mountains of ceramics are haphazardly stacked on the floor and on dusty shelves, a virtual treasure trove of saucers, burners, salt and pepper shakers and sushi platters. The prices are fixed but are so competitively priced, why bother haggling. The problem is merely where to begin to choose. As a note of caution, I suggest you do not wear white clothing for this outing, as the fine clay work does mean fine dust, mountains of it.
We were fortunate at this point to have the opportunity to meet with Hester Tjebbes, a long time off and on resident of Pejaten who was instrumental in making many of the advances in the production of ceramics originating from this village. Hester first arrived in Indonesia in 1984 on a cultural exchange to Jakarta. It was at the village’s request that help was needed to move the village beyond just tile making. With help from some initial funding by Hivos (a Dutch organization), Hester was able to begin the instruction on making ceramics and to help Pejaten diversify their product range. Up to that point tiles and pots had been crudely hand made. Hester made the first prototype kick-wheel that is still in wide use today, a simple but very effective method that meant that thrown clay work could be produced without the need of an electrical wheel.
Funding from a variety of sources followed, then opportunities to exhibit the ceramics in Jakarta to gain more exposure. Kompas sponsored one such successful exhibition and the focus on this small village was an exciting prospect. To this day, clay work remains the main source of livelihood for the villagers of Pejaten, with around 600 people deriving their income from the small cottage industries.
Hester has now become involved in the production of high-end pieces of exquisite ceramic work. Central to the products produced by Eglantier Ceramique are the elegant pots that stand some 80 cm tall and are colored in beautiful hues of blue and green with intricate dragon and bird figurines entwined around the top. Most items are exported to markets in Europe and the Middle East, with one such major order now in production for a wedding in Saudi Arabia. Working closely with Pak Tude and Ibu Dayu, the small team of artisans work steadily on the divine objects with one team working on the wheels producing the thrown clay pots and another team working on the fine figurine work, all with intense attention to detail.
Hester is also finding time to produce several pieces that will be on exhibit at Jenggala Ceramics in Jimbaran, with Hester being featured as a visiting artist. She is thankful for the immense support from Jenggala and their continuing promotion of artists. It seems that clay work in a variety of forms will remain a focal point of this village for generations to come.
By Fiona Simon, photos by Catriona Ward
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