Pottery, an art form built for artistic expression and relaxation. 2023 research by Melvi Rosilawati, M.Psi, from EMC Healthcare, revealed that pottery is often used for art therapy, providing a space for people of all ages to manage their emotions and stress. The art form is practically everywhere. From New York pottery workshops to ancient artifacts in museums, the craft of pottery has existed for such a long time, accessible to almost anyone. And whilst in this current modern age pottery is now primarily used for those reasons, especially in Western and Eastern countries, it used to be for crafting cultural heritage by numerous countries across the sea, including Indonesia. Indonesian pottery has existed for a very, very long time now, surpassing even some of our oldest ancestors. Some of the most well-known Indonesian potteries are from Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, and even more regions. However, there is an underrated powerhouse of pottery-making. That is, the Sitiwinangun village, which creates and produces none other than Sitiwinangun pottery.
Sitiwinangun pottery is a type of ancient ceramic originating from, obviously, the Sitiwinangun Village in Cirebon. It’s known for its unique shapes, along with strong cultural ties and clear patterns. Pottery in Cirebon is believed to have deep prehistoric roots, dating back to sometime during the 15th-century Cirebon Sultanate. The village of Sitiwinangun, which is the epicenter of this pottery craft, is located around 15 kilometers west of the Cirebon city center. What began it all was a Muslim scholar named Sheikh Dinureja (his real name was Ki Mas Ratna Gumilang). When he was alive, he spread the word of Islam and introduced his pottery-making skills to the people of the Sitiwinangun area. At this point in time, Sitiwinangun was actually called Padukuhan Kebagusan, translating to ‘The Hamlet of Goodness’ in English. Here, he played a vital role in improving the living standards of the villagers significantly. The name Sitiwinangun itself is even closely linked to the pottery craft. ‘Siti’ means land, while ‘winangun’ means to build. How is it connected to pottery? Pottery is often made up of different materials, then shaped and built into a beautiful physical form. Just like the meaning behind the name Sitiwinangun! All jokes aside though, Sitiwinangun pottery is a significant cultural heritage for the whole Cirebon region, and its little minute details are what add to the extravagance of it all.
As previously stated, Sitiwinangun pottery is a prominent art and craft in the Sitiwinangun community, with its extraordinary designs and intricate craft-making process. This form of pottery utilizes locally sourced clay in order to create its practical, yet artistic products. Such products include, but are not limited to, vases, pots, and statues. To craft these highly detailed items, the raw clay from the rice fields in the surrounding villages is first smoothed before being shaped. This can either be through manually trampling the clay or by grinding it with a machine. After it is shaped in a specific way using techniques according to the requirements of the process, it is then dried for at least two weeks before being fried. In this step, the combustion process could be either from open combustion systems or closed ones. Artisans are free to choose whichever method they like better; however, craftsmen who make household products do use an open firing system, whilst decoration craftsmen use a closed firing system. After about 45 minutes of firing, the product is then removed from the kiln using a special bamboo tool. Once cooled, the pottery can undergo further finishing processes, such as painting the result. Finished products are then sold via craft stores, online platforms, or showrooms, with prices that vary depending on the shape and size of the product. This complicated process is what makes the craft of Sitiniwangun pottery truly such a special one, with years and hours spent dedicated to the artistry. The craft itself is also heavily intertwined with local animalistic rituals, ancestral beliefs, local Cirebon myths, and cultural themes, as the Sitiwinangun pottery artisans believe that spiritual processes result in quality. Alongside economic value, it is obvious that Sitiwinangun pottery is an important part of local Cirebon culture, and all aspects of it should be remembered.
Even though this spectacular art form has existed for decades now, even centuries, there have been reports from the local villagers of the art form disappearing right before their very eyes. Back in 2024, Sinta D. from the Cirebon Profile and Tourism organization reported that artisans from the Sitiwinangun village were concerned over the fact that the craft had diminished as time passed by. Moreover, over 90% of the skilled Sitiwinangun pottery workers were actually the elderly, instead of the village youth. This is most likely because of the increase in the appearances of plastic-made products within households, which in turn resulted in pottery products being replaced. And with the village workforce going down over time due to the younger generations moving to bigger cities, the craft and ancestral heritage cannot continue on. Not to mention that Sitiwinangun pottery is one of the major creative businesses in Cirebon. So, in addition to all that was said, if Sitiwinangun pottery were to just disappear, it would put a massive toll on the local economy and endanger centuries of hard work and practice.
Although this is an extremely dire situation, there have been fortunate efforts made to help preserve this cultural art. Ceramic artist Bonzan Eddy Rochasli Adisetyo wanted to motivate the Sitiwinangun youth to enter the pottery industry and not to abandon this art form. In 1991, Bonzan moved his Bandung ceramics studio to the Sitiwinangun village. In doing so, he managed to encourage many of the local youth to go back to their roots and create artistic pottery. Bonzan then challenged them to show their skills and talent in Jakarta, which the students enthusiastically welcomed with open arms. Later in February of that same year, Bonzan was able to bring their creations and have them displayed at Kompas’s Bentara Budaya center in Jakarta. Though this was years ago, the Bentara Budaya still displayed Sitiwinangun pottery works even up until 2023. So, even though people are still concerned over this art form slowly disappearing over the years, it’s actions like this where there is a beacon of hope for the future, that efforts to help preserve the precious craft have and will always be there, and that with enough support, Sitiwinangun pottery can hopefully one day thrive again.
References
Sitiwinangun pottery, Cirebon’s vanishing heritage business. Cirebon Profile and Tourism. (2024, April 5). https://cirebonprofileandtourism.com/2024/04/05/sitiwinangun-pottery-cirebons-vanishing-heritage-business/
Antique Sitiwinangun pottery #2. Lincoln Brooks Furniture. (n.d.). https://www.lincolnbrooks.com.au/products/antique-terracotta-pot-1
D P Putri 2018 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1013 012166
Rosilawati, M. (2023, July 7). Pottery, Activities Beneficial to Psychological Health. EMC Healthcare - SAME. https://www.emc.id/en/care-plus/pottery-activities-beneficial-to-psychological-health
jawawa. (2001, January 28). Ancient pottery tradition survives in Cirebon. jawawa. https://jawawa.id/newsitem/ancient-pottery-tradition-survives-in-cirebon-1447893297
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