EARTH AND FIRE

If you have 'done' Bali's so-called art shops (local tourist industry terminology for what are usually narrow corridors jam-packed with rattan backpacks, leather shadow puppets, bamboo chimes and ceramic everything, you will be aware of the important role pottery plays in the local souvenir industry. You may even have been urged to purchase one of these products as a momento of your holiday in Bali. Indeed, you may be well advised to do so, for many of these products are not only attractive and versatile, but also carefully and delicately crafted. Do not assume, however, that the earthenware products that grace the shelves of Bali's art shops are produced in this island, for most of them originate from neighboring Lombok.

The village of Masbagik Timur, about 45 kilometers from the capital Mataram, is but one of Lombok's many ceramic- producing villages. In comparison to the better-known potter's village such as Banyumulek and Penujak, Masbagik Timur is a relatively new player in the island's ceramics industry. In spite of this, however, in the sixteen years of its existence, the popularity of pottery from Masbagik Timur, renowned for its refined, delicately finished style has surpassed that of the rougher style characteristic of Banyumulek and Penujak. For this reason, Masbagik Timur pottery dominates both the Balinese art shop and the export markets.

The speedy development of Masbagik Timur's ceramics industry is largely due to a joint development project, a joint venture between New Zealand and Indonesia initiated in 1983. Prior to that date, Masbagik Timur was one of the poorest villages in the regency of east Lombok. But when a New Zealand national recognized the great potential of one of the village's most basic natural resources- its earth - the fate of Masbagik Timur's poverty stricken community changed drastically.

According to Rifai, a 49-year old potter and local of Masbagik Timur who perfected his craft after participating in the Lombok Handicraft Project, the people of Masbagik Timur have been practicing the art of pottery for several generations. But prior to the establishment of the project, locally produced ceramics were much more basic than they are today. Previously, local clay was used to make household products, such as cup ( a pot reserved especially for cooking rice), periuk (a jug for holding water for cooking), kekete ( a pan reserved for frying), jembung ( a dish to hold water for washing one's hands), sendor (in which food is kept) and ceret ( a container for drinking water). Local clay was collected, formed into these household products, fired on top of a fire made of dried rice stalks, and sold at the local market at around Rp. 100 a piece. "I'm one of the few local potters who was making ceramic products prior to the arrival of the project in 1983. I used to lug my pots around in big baskets from my village to village. Sometimes I would be lucky to sell anything at all, and mostly I'd just swap my pots for rice," recounts Rifai.

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