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Lombok Our most recent trip to Lombok, the Indonesian island just to the east of Bali, yielded some of the best finds ever for Mingei: antique rice baskets with a rich patina; delicately painted chests and plates; rough gourd water bottles in woven carriers; tribal calendars; traditional painted drums; bamboo-trimmed boxes for betel storage. Almost 90% of the population of Lombok is Sasak, descendents of animist farmers that came overland from India and Burma hundreds of years ago. Little is known of Lombok's history before the 17th century, when the island was divided into many small states, each ruled by a separate Sasak prince. The Balinese, taking advantage of bickering between the states, colonized western Lombok. Today, approximately 10% of the islanders are Balinese. There are also small Chinese, Javanese and Arab minorities. Today, most Sasaks are officially Muslim, but many of their traditional beliefs have left a mark on their culture. The Muslim call to prayer begins each day at about 4:30 a.m -- which we heard clearly from our hotel in the mosque-filled Arabic quarter in which we stayed-- but their dress and their music and dance traditions are decidedly Sasak. Their art reflects their clean, simple aesthetic sensibility and their need for function. We had a particularly fun time spending an afternoon in the main market in Sweta, buying contemporary, functional Sasak wares. As the only tourists in the place, we drew staring, smiling crowds as we wandered through the maze of stalls. Just negotiating for black rice, salak fruit, or green-tinted storage baskets was an adventure, guaranteed to bring giggles at our bad Indonesian. At one point, while buying kitchen implements fashioned from old oil and mosquito spray cans, we must have had an audience of at least 20 women, children, and old men, watching intently, assisting us with information, laughing at our accents and the crazy prices we paid for things. It was a great day. |
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