# 1 Kemberasan Dan Tutup Banyumuleki

Is used for storing rice and was originally only made on 12 Rabilulawal, the month in the Muslim calendar when the prophet Mohammad was born. It was born. It was made by pregnant women.

Adang-Adang (an offering) consisting of 2.5 kilos of rice, 225 Chinese coins, rope betel nut, tobacco, cigarettes made from corn leaf, (Keruwuk) is placed in a basket and placed in front of the women making the pot. When the pot was finished would take the rope from the basket and rub her eyes with it to prevent eye infection.

The Kemberasan is decorated with motifs:

The stars and moon signify that the pot was made on the 12th Rabilulawal. The rice shaft represents the rice field. The ladder represents the storage of rice in the Lumbung, a house raised off the ground which must be entered by a ladder.

The convex lid is made by women who intend to have more children. And if a woman does not wish to have more children she makes a concave lid.

#2 Gumbung

Is used for making coconut oil. Coconut water is placed in the pot with a lid on and boiled until thick. The thickened liquid is then fried to extract oil in a Kete Ledak.

#3 Adik Kakak

After a child is born, the placenta is placed in this pot and buried at the side of the house. Where the pot is buried a bamboo stick is placed as a marker and a Kekojong is made from banana leaves to contain betel nut and cigarettes made from corn leaves and tobacco.

#4 Lampa Wayang

Is used for curing children of eye infection. The Wayang Kulit is performed at night.

The Lampu Wayang is used for lighting, and represents the face of the people. The lamp is filled with coconut oil and a wick which is then hung in front of the Dalang (performer), lit, and the Wayang Kulit commences. Children with eye infections are brought to the performance.

After the show the cloth screen is then wiped on the face of the Lampu Wayang and then on the face of the children to cure them.

#5 Kuda Kepala Rumah

This pot is placed on the roof of the house which is called Bale Bunter or Bunung Rata. It was used for diverting thunder.

#6 Gentong Raksasa

Is used for storing water for use in the dry season. The Getong sedang is used before praying and for storing rice. The getong is also used to contain water on which the body is bathed before burial.

#7 Tumang

Is used as a stove.

#8 Kete Dalam

This pot is used for cooking chicken and duck dishes at ceremonies such as weddings, circumcisions and burials. It is still sued now a days.

#9 Dulang Janggek

Was used before the Muslim religion came to Lombok it was used for ceremonial offerings at graves, where the villagers eat together. The people believed that if they did not use this pot they would get sick.

13/7/99

My first some what successful find in Indonesia after 2 1/2 weeks in the country. I have not found any pottery of note on Bali. There are still a couple of villages I need to check when I get back there, but for now I am here on Lombok. Today I went to Banyumulek to the office of the New Zealand sponsored self help program. The man who was tending the office was very helpful and showed me the entire gallery clarifying points when needed. I took quite a few photos and LiAnne copied the written material while I discussed the operation with the man whose name I have unfortunately forgotten.

He then took us around the village starting off with the makers of small vessels and leading into the makers of large vessels. The clay is dug locally at a nearby hill about 10 km away and carried to the village. The potters buy the clay for 10,000 rp per bushel. Each potter mixes her own clay body, drying, sifting, slaking and finally adding grog to the clay.

The smaller pots are made in series with the bodies being made one day and the lips and feed added on the other days. The large vessels are formed in series but from the bottom up one is allowed to dry while another is worked on. After forming the sides are scraped smooth and then burnished. In a good week as many as ten large vessels can be made with an 80% success rate.

The wheels are small banding wheel type made of wood, and the clay fires to a red color with rice husk to get a deep rich black color and to get a mottled color, tamarind peel extract is sprayed directly on the pots after removing from the fire.

There are around 10 potters groups in the village, each with their own firing site and about 50-60 people working. The women do all the forming and the men do most of the other work; wood gathering, firing, clay preparation, etc. The men also sometimes help in the scraping and burnishing.

This set up division of labor is still followed today and was initiated that way because the women could form the vessels in between household duties like cooking and cleaning and the men could do the others in between farming activities.

Most of the shapes in the village production are traditional house hold objects.

Small firings of only a few pieces takes an hour or less and the large firings of several hundred pieces takes no longer than three hours. There is a minimum of one firing per day and a maximum of three firings per day.

If everything worked right and there is not too much damage each person in the group will average around 5,000-10,000 rp per day as wages.

There are three villages in the project. I will visit the other two later. Masbagik and Penujuak.

The people were quite shy and would only allow their picture to be taken if paid 1000 rp.

During the rainy season the clay wont dry and fuel is wet. So during the dry season the surplus stock is made and stored to sell during the rainy season.

15/7/99 Penujuak 16/7/99 Masbagik

It was interesting to visit Penujak and see the differince both in life style and in production techniques. In Penujak they fire in a round pit kiln with a wall extending 2-3 feet high and four draft openings placed at the four points of the compass.

The main difference in the construction process is the use of a paddle and anvil in the shaping and firing of the wall.

The shapes specific to Penujak are the Kendi Maling, the round but formed water vessel and a four squared spice box.

Kendi Maling

Is used as a drinking vessel. When a new house is being built the kendi is buried in the ground eventually placed on top of the house because thieves apparently will not know if the house is occupied and also will not be able to find the door. The kendi is filled from below representing the thief entering from the back of the house.

For burials the ceret is filled with water which has had magic performed on it and then placed on the grave to protect the person who has just died. Those who are interested in black magic sometimes look for the graves of children who have died believing that they can strenghen their bodies by drinking this water from the new grave, but this is a rare occurrence. The ceret is also used by fortune tellers to cast judgement on criminals. The suspects are gathered together and the ceret is turned by the fortune teller. Whoever the spout points to is considered guilty.