Skilled craftman’s business has silver lining

Yuliantoro , Contributor , Yogyakarta | Fri, 12/11/2009 10:37 AM | People
JP/Yuliantoro
Priyo Jatmiko Salim has made quite a name for himself among the few silversmiths left in Kotagede.
The owner of Silver Salim is the only artisan committed to the art of repoussé, ornamental silverwork hammered into the metal from the reverse side, a specialty of Kotagede.
Salim, 48, has devoted the best part of his life to producing silverware made in the distinctive Kotagede style. He employs five craftsmen – the highest number of artisans working for any silversmith business in Kotagede – who are experts in the art of silver engraving, and is currently training new staff in his workshop.
In addition to preserving the town’s cultural heritage, his silver art products fetch high prices in domestic and international markets. According to Salim, prices of engraved art pieces are much higher than those of plain silver products.
“Prices of silver or arrangements are based on the weight of the goods. The value of the art is never a consideration. But artistic products attract their own prices. These are usually calculated per item, so the value of a product can reach into the millions of rupiah, or 10 times the wholesale price,” said the artisan and graduate of Gadjah Mada University’s School of Geography.
To improve his bargaining position and competitiveness, Salim’s silver products are not merely hammered and engraved. Inheriting his skills from his father Salim Widardjo, a noted Kotagede silverwork artist, his creations blend designs using special engraving techniques unique to Kotagede with those from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. He also uses other jewelry production techniques when making silver craftwork.
“I design silver jewellery in the form of earrings, bracelets, pendant and necklaces. These look very beautiful and elegant when worn on formal or semi-formal occasions,” he said in his workshop in Kotagede, Yogyakarta.
Salim is one of the few silversmith still using engraving techniques in his work, as artisans specializing in embossing are an increasingly dying breed. An unfortunate turn of events, given the technique initially transformed Kotagede into a renowned silverware center.
What is so special about the Kotagede technique? Well, the three-dimensional details make the jewelry come alive, because both sides of the silver plate are hammered. The process is called wudulan, embossing from the back and refining from the front.
Salim is constantly exploring new designs, always seeking to produce unique silver jewelry.
“We do not hesitate to experiment by combining our techniques with those used in the production of jewelry such as layering, cutting and grading. Our goods are elegant and Salim Silver’s reputation lives on, as we have gained the trust of customers here and abroad,” he said.
To acknowledge his contribution to preserving Indonesian cultural heritage on the verge of extinction, Salim received countless nominations and awards, from noted magazines such as Femina in its jewelry design competitions and from the World of Archeological Wonder, to name a few.
Salim never dreamed he would become a silversmith and businessman. As a geography graduate from Gadjah Mada University, his parents wanted him to be a civil servant in one of the ministries. But because his first placement would have been outside of Java, Salim’s parents objected to their son leaving Kotagede. Salim was advised to become a silversmith, like most people living in Kotagede people at that time.
“From then on, I tried to design my own silverwork and marketed it to large businesses. Because the demand was high, the business grew fast to the point where I could open my own shop by renting a house in Kemasan Kotagede Street. Many foreigners came to the shop wanting to purchase silver products I had designed, and big orders started coming in,” Salim said.
Salim’s fortune continued. Although he initially started with very little capital, he would always ask for advance payments of more than 75 percent of the selling price.
“I have never had a customer not prepared to pay an order in cash. The capital constraints that normally restrict business growth simply vanished. And that’s how I have developed until now,” he said.
Salim is now a successful businessman dealing mostly with foreign customers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Korea and several European countries.
The internet initially helped Salim promote and market his silver artwork products in foreign countries, with most of his customers tending to be art lovers.
“Our products are expensive because what I sell are works of art, not mass-produced goods. So as a result out targets are actually markets overseas, made up of consumers who can appreciate art work,” he said.
With a turnover of hundreds of millions of rupiah, a range of products and a steady level of development, his business is relatively stable. In 2008, he had as many as 90 craftsmen and employees.
“Since the old days we have always remained stable. Whether there is a crisis or not, the orders keep coming because we have a niche market. The problem is the price of the raw material, which continues to go up.” www.thejakartapost.com