Lombok pottery village is in Banyumulek a traditional village which is only a few kilometers from the city of Mataram (7 km) to the south, its territory is included in the district of West Lombok which has been known by the surrounding community as a pottery and pottery craftsman area.

These two words are pottery Lombok language and the word pottery is Indonesian but some argue that the designation of the pottery for the handicrafts of the land is then burned and then used for kitchen utensils.

For the Lombok pottery village designation, the results of the craft work are then burned for the purposes of ornaments or decorations such as pots, fast flowers, ashtrays, wall hangings, jars and so on.

OK, where the era before the expansion of tourism in Lombok the pottery craftsmen in Banyumulek village were only traditional craftsmen who made pottery with shapes and models according to the demands of the surrounding community for kitchen utensils such as: Jangkih or stove for cooking, Sigon or frying pan, Kemek or pan for cooking, kettles or Kocor for drinking, Bong or jug ​​where you put water for bathing and washing your feet, Selao or a jug to hold water for cooking in the kitchen.

All production results are individual property which is done routinely every day by the people of Banyumulek village after they are finished and then marketed at the nearest traditional market or vendor to neighboring villages by using bicycle or carried or even marketing to the city of Mataram.

Such phenomena have passed swallow the period even though until now we still see some of the Banyumulek people still around who carry their handicrafts for sale offered door-to-door, especially like flower pots that have been finished in a more attractive form.

There are also some who bear flower pots with direct flowers but more often we see picking up with bicycle and now the pottery of Banyumulek village has shifted in function aka rising prestige not to be used as kitchen utensils or other household furniture.

Now the pottery of Banyumulek village has become a tourism consumption and is produced on a large scale followed by a model and design innovations that are quite enticing for travelers who come specifically to see the features and art displayed by Banyumulek village craftsmen.

Even enthusiasts many are ordered to be exported to developing countries, especially Europe and America, or you can say Banyumulek pottery “Go International.”

Of course what we mean is not pottery as sold in traditional markets, now the pottery of Banyumulek Village has been combined and developed into thousands of shapes, models and designs that are finished with various kinds of motifs with techniques combined with plaits.

Like thread but bigger but very tough and strong to weave.

After weaving on the outside of the pottery will be given varnish liquid or other liquid to give the impression of classics or old-fashioned, of course the model offered to the customer is more oriented to the needs for the interior and exterior of luxury homes, offices and so on that can be placed on the buffet.

In the corner of the house terrace or office, as a flat for wall decoration, there is also a place to place fruit, pan on a dining table and there is also a place to place candles and even electric lights to look unique.

The pottery of Banyumulek village is now very developed to support tourism as a tourism destination for traditional Lombok handicrafts, especially for Europeans who really want to compare the technological era that developed in their country with a very basic and traditional production system.

Currently the availability of existing clay material matrices has become a new problem because of the large number of production requests because the demand not only from neighboring islands like Bali displays in art shops in Bali with a Balinese brand appearance even though the items come from Banyumulek village.

The availability of soil material must be purchased from other districts even from very remote locations in the Sekotong area to the manufacture of Pottery causing production costs to rise and the selling price to increase.

Very often we hear pottery made from clay made by a process that is quite complicated and meticulous with the process by drying for weeks to produce good soil quality for the process of making pottery, pounding it until smooth then sifting, then deposited by giving water.

For a few days after that, then to the process of forming the model according to the desired shape or in accordance with the desired needs, then after that the results that have been formed are dried by means of aerated or in other words dried with no sun under a few days while preparing the burning process.

Using dry straw fuel, the burning process in Banyumulek village has been collectively placed in several places with buildings that have been provided by village officials supported by the tourism department.

For more details, let’s come to Banyumulek village to see first-hand the process of making it, so that you can see the finishing process in Banyumulek village, of course people are used to this kind of thing if someone or group who comes to visit this location, especially tourists who intentionally come want to see the process of making pottery, don’t hesitate to say hello, you can also ask the locals.

By exploring this simple village from door to door, almost every house works on making pottery, especially the forming process by turning a simple tool in which to put or sit the soil material to be used as a very simple manual machine.

Formed according to the desired demand or to set production, then after being formed it will be dried in front of the home page before proceeding to the combustion process, of course by taking into account the turn schedule because the combustion process is located far from the settlers so that hazard effects or combustion fumes can be avoided and used collectively in one place that has been determined by village officials.

Then how do we go to Banyumulek village? certainly not difficult if you know Cakranegara at the intersection of the post Police take the path to the right if you come from the direction of the city of Mataram.

Passing through the NTB Provincial Hospital in the Cermen branch then will find the intersection still pass to the south until later there is another intersection in the middle there your jug ​​or Pottery monument.

Turns to the right across the narrow asphalt lane in the Lelede village and then you will be greeted by the Welcome gate then there are some great art shops that have begun to appear “Rismunika” and some small art shops lined up to have art the shop is big enough but doesn’t look from the roadside like the art shop “Blessing of Patience.”

Alternatively you can also use airport lane access via Mataram with a benchmark at the intersection of the Hubull Watahan Mosque or the “Islamic Center” mosque to the south until it passes through the by pass to Lombok International Airport after passing two fly over.

There is a lane to the left but sir the driver must obey me. the condition of the craftsmen in Banyumulek village there are several craftsmen who sell to the local art shop with the form after being burned but not finished yet.

Some art shops collaborate with travel agents to package this craft as a tourist destination because we see many travel vehicles stopping at one crowded art shop because in the art shop location there are also free theoretical courses to form pottery certainly after finishing the course.

They hope you buy the work that has been displayed in the shop or if you don’t mind you give tipping money to the tutor if you don’t mind.