Traditional Silver Filigree Jewelry from Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Traditional Silver Filigree Jewelry from Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Yogyakarta has so many traditional techniques and cultures that are still preserved…
This time, I’d like to introduce one of those traditional techniques: silverwork, or filigree.

Yogyakarta has a lot of traditional crafts like these.

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What is Filigree?

Filigree is a technique of twisting and weaving fine silver or gold wires into a rope-like form.

Filigree work

Some artisans leave the ropes and wires cylindrical, while others flatten them using a rolling mill after twisting.

The ropes, whether flattened or not, are twisted into desired shapes, such as coils or zigzags, using extremely fine tweezers, and are later used to fill the gaps in a prepared gold or silver frame. The piece is then soldered using a mixture of borax and very fine gold or silver powder.

Filigree is sometimes used in combination with granulation, a technique of creating very small spheres of silver or gold and soldering them onto jewelry. Granulation is popular for enhancing aesthetic value, but it is also strategically used to hide solder joints and connections.

Products like the following are also sold on Tokopedia.

Silver 925 Jogja

The History of Silverwork and Yogyakarta

In the southeastern area of Yogyakarta, there is an area called Kotagede.

Map of Kotagede

Kotagede is the place where Panembahan Senopati, the founder of the New Mataram Kingdom, established his palace in 1575.

The New Mataram Kingdom claimed to be a direct descendant of the rulers of the ancient Mataram Kingdom, which built the mighty Borobudur and Prambanan temples. In 1680, Kotagede was plundered by troops from Madura, and the Mataram court moved east, first to Kartasura, and then to its present location in Surakarta (Solo) on the banks of the Solo River.

Kotagede street

A maze of narrow alleys is lined with small traditional silverwork shops and mosaic-tiled houses that were once the residences of nobles and royal merchants.

This district is now most famous as the center of Jogja’s silverwork industry.
There are several silverwork workshops where you can see silversmiths transforming silver into beautiful works of art.

Kotagede silverwork shop

The silversmiths of Kotagede have grown since Kotagede was established as the capital of Mataram.

During that time, the traditional silver, gold, and copper industries began to develop, with the repoussé (embossing) technique being the mainstream.
The products of this region met the needs of the royal household for household goods and ceremonial items.

In the colonial period of the 1930s, silverwork and silver handicrafts flourished in Kotagede. The Dutch colonial government protected the silverwork of Kotagede.

Around 1950, the filigree technique was introduced to Kotagede under the influence of artisans from Sulawesi.

Now, both silverwork utilizing embossing and silverwork utilizing filigree are famous throughout Indonesia.

Motherhouse jewelry

This is a Japanese jewelry shop that utilizes the skills of the silversmiths of Yogyakarta.

In this area, workshops where you can experience making silverwork are popular.
The other day, I also participated in a workshop and made a ring.
※I will introduce it in another article later.

Finally

Thank you for reading to the end.

As you have seen, Yogyakarta has tourist cities even in its suburbs.
Also, many traditional cultures and arts are still inherited today.

Please refer to other articles about Yogyakarta as well.

Traditional Silver Filigree Jewelry from Yogyakarta, Indonesia

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