It is increasingly apparent that there is still an important role for traditional arts and crafts to play in the 21st century. Indonesian Arts and Crafts deals with this phenomenon by examining the history and role that crafts have played in traditional society. It then focuses on the craft response to modern demands.

There is a growing appreciation and awareness of products that are expertly hand crafted rather than machine made, and Indonesian craftspeople and designers have been steadily responding to this awareness. Indonesian Arts and Crafts discusses and explains Indonesia’s craft background and heritage, and then moves on to outline the role of craftsmanship in the contemporary context.

It is here that Indonesian Arts and Crafts breaks new grounds in the coverage of Indonesian crafts. It examines Indonesian craftsmanship in the context of the creative industry and the important role that design has come to play in the future survival of craftsmanship. Craft has become an integral part of design thinking, and this is the first time that this aspect of craftsmanship has been explored in the Indonesian context. The second part of the book provides a comprehensive overview of the many ways that Indonesian craftspeople are responding to new challenges, and working together through design to create crafts of the highest international standards.

To produce this book, an international team of writers and experts have been brought together:

Joop Ave': has a long and illustrious diplomatic career in which he was able to cultivate his passion for Indonesian arts and crafts. He is one of the founders of the Indonesian National Crafts Council. He founded BAB Publishing to produce books that promote Indonesia’s heritage.

Dr. Sian E. Jay: is an Oxford trained anthropologist who has worked in the contemporary design field for many years as an educator and writer. She is a frequent visitor to Indonesia where she is studying the development of design in the Indonesian context.

Prof. Michael Hitchcock: is the Director of the International Institute for Culture, Tourism and Development at London Metropolitan University. He has had a long academic involvement with Indonesian crafts, and his doctoral thesis focused on Indonesian textiles and architecture.

Prof. S.P. Gustami SU: is an acknowledged connoisseur of woodcraft, as well as an accomplished woodcraft artist. He is an educator in the craft disciplines at Gajah Mada University and at the Institute of Technology at Bandung.

Prof. Dr. Timbul Haryono: is trained as an archaeologist and has a detailed knowledge of arts and crafts in a historical and archaeological context. He is widely recognised as an expert in his field and has presented a wide number of papers internationally.

Size: 240 x 280 mm, 230 pp
Published: August 2008
Hardcover
ISBN 978-979-8926-27-3
Distributed by
- Indonesian distribution: PT. JAVA BOOK INDONESIA
- International distribution: BERKELEY BOOKS, TUTTLE PUBLISHING (Member of Periplus Publishing Group)
The book is lavishly illustrated, full colour in coffee-table format