Who doesn’t miss exploring Indonesia and enjoying all the beauty and charm it has to offer? Being at home for long periods of time may seem boring to some people. Moreover, the activities that can be done are also limited. However, don’t let that limit you from sharing with friends, relatives, and family. Because, support and encouragement of positive energy to others is needed at difficult times like now.
There are various ways you can do it. One of them, by giving gifts or souvenirs. For souvenir choices, you can look at handicrafts typical of Yogyakarta (Jogja), Solo, and Semarang or often called Joglosemar. The reason is, the three areas offer a variety of handicrafts that are full of cultural meaning. In addition, by buy the local products, you are helping local craftsmen and artists to keep working during the pandemic. As a recommendation, here are four handicrafts that you can aim for.
Decorative accessories made from Yogyakarta’s natural material
The house is the center of community activity during the pandemic. Therefore, many people rearrange their homes to be more comfortable with their daily activities. Well, this opportunity can be your inspiration to give souvenirs to relatives. You can choose decoration accessories made from nature of Jogja. As is known, Jogja is famous for its handicrafts made from nature. There are various natural materials that often used, such as natural fibers, water hyacinth, seagrass, banana trees, bark, and recycled wood.
Silver craft from Kotagede, Yogyakarta
In addition to decoration accessories and batik, you can also give silver crafts made by craftsmen in Kotagede, Jogja, to your beloved relatives. This Yogyakarta handicraft can impress your relatives. For information, Kotagede is a well-known silver-producing center in Gudeg City. His fame has even existed since the Dutch colonial era. One thing that is unique about the silver handicrafts in this place is the combination of Javanese cultural carvings typical of the Hindu community. In the past, the Yogyakarta Palace also often ordered a variety of silver crafts from Kotagede in the form of tableware, tea pots, and so on. In addition, Kotagede silverware is also famous for its beautiful accessories and jewelry such as bracelets, brooches, earrings, and rings.
Antiques from Solo
If you have relatives who like to collect ancient items, don’t forget to provide a variety of antique handicrafts from Solo. As one of the cultural cities in Central Java, Solo is rich in high-value handicrafts. One of the places that sell these goods is Triwindu Market. The collections of Solo handicrafts that can be purchased include masks, puppets, ancient keris, statues, and Solo batik cloth. For the price, you don’t need to worry because most of the goods sold at Triwindu Market are affordable. Because you still can’t go there directly, you can try to find these items in the online marketplace.
Semarang typical batik
Batik is not only a mainstay of handicrafts in Jogja, Solo, or Pekalongan. Semarang as the capital city of Central Java also has a variety of batik motifs that must be collected. Viewed from the pattern and color, Semarang batik has difference compared to the batik of the three regions mentioned. Semarang batik tends to use bright colors and the patterns are not so dense. In terms of motifs, Semarang batik has a characteristic blend of coastal batik with the mixed culture of Chinese community. Typical coastal motifs usually describe the richness of flora and fauna in the area. For Semarang batik, the motifs of peacocks, butterflies, storks, cempaka, roses, and blekok birds are the mainstay. Not only that, Semarang batik also has a variety of contemporary Semarang icon motifs, such as Lawang Sewu and Tugu Muda. In addition, Semarang batik also comes with a variety of modern fashion styles.
–sh
