Kasongan, the Clay Hamlet

[caption id="attachment_23551" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="the gate of Kasongan (Gudegnet)"][/caption] Less famous than Jogja mainstream destinations such as Malioboro-Sultan's Palace area as well as Kaliurang and Parangtritis, Kasongan offers quite a destination worth visiting. It is one of the most important places of interest in Bantul situated on Bangunjiwo of Kasihan subdistrict. Kasongan is a well known pottery hamlet in Yogyakarta. With its distinctive red gate and lines of pottery workshops and galleries that marks its main entrance, this hamlet is now easily spotted alongside the main road connecting Jogja and Bantul. It is some 6 km or only 15-20 minutes away from the downtown of Yogyakarta. Among locals, Kasongan has been famous since long time ago as the production center of pottery for household need. The skill of making pottery, nonetheless, was begun from a bitter story when a horse belonged to Dutch officer died at the hamlet. Scared of unlawful punishment, the peasant surrendered their right over their farming land and developed the ability of shaping clay. [caption id="attachment_23552" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Pottery workshop (Visitingjogja.com)"][/caption] They only produced a small variety of earthenware for household need, such as kendi (jar), buyung (small pot to cook rice or boil water), and kuali (larger pot). Its labelled Kundi hamlet, meaning hamlet that produces kundi (kendi), pioneered the further development in both quality and quantity of Kasongan pottery. The legendary tale of the dead horse became one of the earliest evidence of artistic inspiration in the history of Kasongan pottery. Apart from giving horse-shaped ornaments on their household pottery, they also produced clay statue of horse chart. The next stage of its development was marked by the emerge of shape of other animals as pottery bank, toys, and other secondary usage. [caption id="attachment_23553" align="alignleft" width="244" caption="Pottery workshop (Visitingjogja.com)"][/caption] It was, Sapto Hudoyo, a famous artist from Bantul, who responsible for the flourishing artistic pottery work in Kasongan. Several years under his guidance, this community learned new creation with the emphasis on thicker artistic sense. They learned how to interpret their imagination into work. In 1980's Kasongan pottery was beginning to achieve acknowledgment from national and international market. One of legendary creations from Kasongan is Loro Blonyo statue. It is a pair of human-shaped statue, usually sitting with knees folded back, carved and painted as if wearing traditional Javanese wedding costume. It is famous from people believing it a good luck charm for couples. Through time, Loro Blonyo experience various artistic development on shape and ornaments. Kasongan is now the a famous tourism village in Yogyakarta. It has a handful of galleries and pottery workshops. Various options of colorful clay artwork will indulge in every shopper's appetite. Kasongan people shows us that hardwork could change a bitter past into colorful present.