Jakarta Handicraft Promotion Center: Jakarta, West Java

By Barrie | August 15th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

Apparently outdone by modern buildings, the embassy compounds across from Ambassador Mall and the crowded trade center, the modest gallery looks gloomy and neglected. But it actually houses beautiful handicrafts as well as paintings, traditional clothes and other items that are unique to Jakarta.

The Jakarta Handicraft Promotion Center on Jl. Dr. Satrio, South Jakarta, was established to help small-and-medium scale industries in the city’s five municipalities promote their products and as a place where tourists can come for souvenirs as the article in the Jakarta Post explains.

But most days few people stop by and there are even fewer sales.

The white-and-orange two-story building is surrounded by a slanting fence, which might put people off.

No visitor was spotted when The Jakarta Post came to the gallery Monday morning.

“I think most people don’t know about this place,” the gallery attendant, Dewi, said.

“But at least one person comes here every day, either to buy something or just to browse,” she said.

Tourists, particularly foreigners, prefer to shop at Sarinah department store on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, which sells a wide range of Indonesian handicrafts, Dewi said.

She said that many of the same items were available at the handicraft center at affordable prices.

“This bag is only Rp 45,000 (about US$4.78). Where else can you buy a beautiful bag for such a low price?” she said, referring to a woven bag decorated with shells.

A range of products are displayed in the year-old gallery including scaled-down ondel-ondel (giant puppets which have become a mascot of Jakarta) on key chains, wooden wall decorations, letter openers and pen holders.

There are also traditional Betawi costumes and pictures of traditional dancers.

Prices range from Rp 5,000 for a card to Rp 17 million for a miniature market tableau.

Some of the products were made by disabled people.

Hensyah Rana of the Jakarta Industrial and Trade Agency, which manages the handicraft center, said no effort had been made to promote it.

“Due to a lack of funds, we have never promoted the gallery or upgraded the building,” he said.

Hensyah said the agency planned to renovate the building and would begin to promotional activities in October.

“We will start renovating the fence first, then we will renovate the whole building gradually,” he said.

Despite the marketability of souvenirs that are peculiar to Jakarta, he said the agency was not cooperating with tourism sites to develop the industry.

At the National Monument (Monas), for example, many vendors choose to sell Lombok and Asmat statues rather than souvenirs of Jakarta.