Gaming

History of silver and gold jewelry in Bali

The art of metalworking came to Indonesia in the Bronze Age from the areas of southern China and Southeast Asia. Bronze drums have been found, dating from the 5th century BC. C., throughout the archipelago, and it is believed that some of them were merged in Bali. In fact, the most famous of these drums, the huge Pejeng Moon, still rests in Bali in the pavilion of a temple in the town of Pejeng. The drums were cast in lost wax and in stone molds. Glass beads, carnelian, shell, silver, gold, and other metals have also been found at Bronze Age sites. The earliest metal jewelry was primarily copper with some gold, silver, and “suwasa”, which is one part gold and two parts copper. Tombs from the Metal Age reveal gold necklaces, hairpins, beads and rings. Initially, raw gold came to Indonesia from China and India, but gold was eventually found in Sumatra, which became famous for its jewelry and dagger hilts.

At the time of Christ’s birth, the people of Sumatra and Java practiced irrigated rice cultivation and the use of the buffalo-drawn plow. The accumulation of wealth that followed fostered the refinement of many art forms, including jewelry. In the year 1000 AD. C., gold and silver in Java had reached an artistic level as high as that of the bronze smelter. The abundance of gold was documented by a Chinese merchant who reported in 1225 that Javanese criminals, with the exception of thieves and murderers, were not imprisoned or subjected to corporal punishment, but fined with gold.

The Majapahit Empire of Java began to colonize Bali in the 14th century. (The Majapahit imposed a caste system on Bali with themselves at the top and the original inhabitants of the island at the bottom.) In the early 16th century, Bali became a sanctuary for Hindus forced out of an increasingly Islamic Java. When the Majapahit Empire collapsed, there was a large influx of Javanese nobles and artisans to Bali and Bali became one of the main centers of precious metal crafts.

The facility where we produce our Bali sterling silver beads is located in Bali, on the outskirts of a town called Celuk. Celuk has a tradition of metalworking that goes back many generations. Its artisans tended to aristocrats in the nearby court town of Gianyar and the noble houses of Sukawati and Ubud. Historically, the Royal Courts of Bali were avid patrons of the arts, which they used as an expression of their sacred and temporal power. Dutch ship captain Arnoudt Lintgens, who visited the Gelgel court kingdom in eastern Bali in 1597, was impressed by the splendid display of exquisitely modeled gold ornaments, including accessories for umbrellas, spears and daggers.

Although most blacksmiths come from the lowest ‘sudra’ caste, Balinese metal smiths have always been admired. The word ‘pandai’ means both ‘blacksmith’ and ‘clever’. A group of blacksmiths from Singaraja, in the northern part of the island, draw their line before the immigration of the Majapahit Javanese. Another clan of blacksmiths is considered a direct descendant of Brahma, the fiery Hindu god. The symbolic importance of precious metals in Hindu cosmology is reflected in the belief that the triple peaks of Mount Meru, the abode of the gods and the center of the world, are made of gold, silver, and iron.

The Balinese have various traditions about the origin of goldsmiths. The ancient Hindu lontars (books of inscriptions written on the leaves of the lontar palm) tell the mythical history of the arts. In one, the gods are sent to Earth to teach men civil behavior. The god Mahadewa trained goldsmiths and silversmiths, while Sang Citra gave them specific instructions in jewelry making. The blacksmiths who worked with precious metals were called “pande mas”, goldsmiths, from then on. In another inscription, a Majapahit Brahmin named Empu Sari first taught the Balinese to work with gold. Another calls the first goldsmith Sang Mangkukuwan, Vishnu’s eldest son.

Balinese blacksmiths still produce beautiful gold ornaments for domestic use, but most of the production is silver work for the export market. International demand has grown so rapidly that new production centers have sprung up in Denpasar and Kuta. In recent years, Celuk has absorbed young people from diverse backgrounds who train and work side by side with others whose families have worked with precious metals for hundreds of years.

There has also been a significant influx of silversmiths and goldsmiths from the island of Java. Modern Javanese silversmiths specialize in fine filigree and ‘plin’ work, a style of shiny flat surfaces and clean, streamlined joints. In contrast, Balinese blacksmiths specialize in granulation, in which tiny silver spheres are arranged in beautiful geometric patterns. Today, many designers want motifs that combine Javanese and Balinese traditions. Adapting to them requires cooperation and cross-training.

The earliest Balinese silver jewelry designs were copies of traditional gold jewelry. The Balinese use beautiful bowls and implements of rested silver for their offerings in the temple, but for jewelry they prefer gold and prefer to do without it than to use silver. As a result, silver jewelry was developed recently and has always been an export product. As the silver market grew, there was pressure to diversify and motifs from many cultures quickly spread through the blacksmith community. The use by artisans of multicultural motifs is an ancient practice. Gold jewelry found in early Egypt, Greece, Phenicia, Persia, and later in Rome, all show borrowed motifs from one another. The migration of skilled craftsmen, especially goldsmiths, from dying civilizations to emerging civilizations is also a millennial trend.

While in the ancient world Phoenician migration and merchants were responsible for slowly spreading ideas, the process has become almost instantaneous with the advent of television, airplanes, and fax machines. Today, buyers come to Bali from all over the world. Designers also flock to the island. They are drawn to the friendly surroundings as much as to the skill of the craftsmen. Bali seems to nurture creativity. It is a scene in which the seeds of the imagination germinate with the same carelessness as those of the lush vegetation. Many of the cottage industries produce work for foreign designers, but the creative process is almost always a collaboration in which the influence of Balinese artisans is evident in the finished product.
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