Cultura.

International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology 18(2)/2021: 211-228

Making Process and Meaning the Ceramic Puppet

Kamasan Illustrations in Cultural Conservation
Efforts in Bali
I Wayan MUDRA
Design Study Program, Masters Program, Postgraduate Program,
Indonesian Arts Institute of Denpasar,
Nusa Indah Street, Denpasar, Postal Code 80236, Bali, Indonesia
e-mail. [email protected]

I Ketut MUKA P.
Craft Program Study, Faculty of Arts and Design,
Indonesian Arts Institute of Denpasar,
Nusa Indah Street, Denpasar, Postal Code 80236, Bali, Indonesia
e-mail. [email protected]

I Wayan SUARDANA
Craft Program Study, Faculty of Arts and Design,
Indonesian Arts Institute of Denpasar,
Nusa Indah Street, Denpasar, Postal Code 80236, Bali, Indonesia
e-mail. [email protected]

Anak Agung Gede Rai REMAWA

Design Study Program, Masters Program, Postgraduate Program
Indonesian Arts Institute of Denpasar,
Nusa Indah Street, Denpasar, Postal Code 80236, Bali, Indonesia
e-mail. [email protected]

Abstract: The advantage ceramic of Balinese Kamasan ornament, it has a very strong
Balinese identity. Therefore, the this ceramic creation was a novel creation by ceramic
artists in Indonesia. Purpose this study to explain the process creation, types of
products, and the meaning of ceramic craft creation the Balinese Kamasan puppet.
The determination data sources by purposive sampling. Data collection methods by
observation, interview, and documentation techniques. The results of creation
process consisted of several stages with a fairly long process, from the design to the
final combustion process, which iscombusting the puppet ornaments on the ceramics
surface at a temperature 10000C. The types of ceramic products produced, namely
sangku (holy water container) and jars in several variations. Each ornament presents a
snippet of a puppet story which is useful as a reflection of human life. The meaning
shown from this creation was creativity, preservation, economy, and the national
identity. The study finding was the ceramic creation process required a long time and
high accuracy with painting techniques. The conclusion was this creation process
requires patience and thoroughness and is part of the preservation of Balinese culture.
Keywords: ceramics, meaning, creation, puppet, Kamasan, Bali.

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INTRODUCTION

Bali is an island that has been known internationally beyond

Indonesia, because of its natural beauty, art and unique traditional
culture. Art and cultural activities that continue to live in Bali, led to
Michel Picard, an orientalist, to mention Bali as a living museum of
Hindu-Javanese civilization. The remnants of Javanese Hindu culture
are still preserved and stored in ancient buildings, palm trees, dances
(Iryanto, 2000). Another opinion states that Bali was packaged as a
living museum, ostensibly for the benefit of local communities, but
actually for the interests of western capitalists through the development
of exotic cultural tourism (Pageh, 2017). This past civilization is also
widely embodied in the manufacture of craft products as an effort to
preserve Balinese culture and the necessities of life. The author believes
that the progress of tourism has a good effect on the marketing of craft
products in Bali.
Craft products sold in Bali are very easy to find in tourist markets, from
the lowest quality to the best quality, yet amid the Covid-19 condition, the
buyers from tourists have decreased drastically. These products are made
from various types of materials such as wood, rattan, bamboo, metal, iron,
rock, clay, cloth, threads, and so on, as well as with various forms and
functions. Many of the products marketed in Bali are imported from Java,
Lombok, and other islands in Indonesia because Bali as a world tourist
destination is considered a potential market for marketing products. The
researchers explored the types of products marketed in Bali through field
surveys and various social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. In the
search, the applications of Kamasan puppet images to craft products were
found in the form of hand fan products made of cloth or wood, woven
wallets, t-shirts, sokasi/keben (basket made of woven bamboo), and other
products. Therefore, the creation of ceramic that apply Kamasan puppets
as ornaments to beautify these products becomes a new creation.
Kamasan is an art village in Klungkung Regency, which has been
famous since the days of the Gelgel Kingdom (1381-1651). Gelgel
Kingdom is the representative of the Majapahit Kingdom in Bali. When
Majapahit collapsed, Gelgel Kingdom declared itself to be the successor
of the great Majapahit in Bali. In the golden age of the Gelgel Kingdom,
King DalemWaturenggong paid great attention to the artists in Kamasan
Village. The name Kamasan Village implies the meaning of "seed of

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beauty" (Kama = seed; san = beautiful). Given this name, it is expected that
every human born in Kamasan village will become individual who has
achievements in the beauty (art). Prior to being called Kamasan puppet
painting, Kamasan puppet painting was called wong-wongan painting,
which is in the form of a two-eyed human with three-quarter position and
the natural environment. The peculiarity of the Kamasan puppet that it
has flatter body parts than other puppets in Bali (Kanta, 1977/1988.10).
Kamasan puppet painting cannot be replaced by new styles that have
grown in other villages in Bali. Kamasan artists paint according to the
standard (pakem), while other artists interpret this style in different ways
and this style has not changed from the past (Campbell, 2014).
Several articles related to the creation of this ceramic were found in a
variety of journals. Mudana (2016) states that Kamasan puppet paintings
have been applied to new products for market needs in the form of
products. The products innovated by applying the Kamasan puppet are in
the form of wallets made of cloth, capil (farmer hat) from woven bamboo,
woven bamboo bags, hand fans made of cloth, and others. The relevant
research results, Isnaini and Lodra (2016) explain that the form, technique,
and function of Coco Karunia Keramik is a form of decorative plants,
animal decorations, and calligraphy decorations as well. The techniques
used are cast and press printing techniques to serve decorative and
aesthetic functions. Marwati and Arif (2017) created ceramic works
inspired by honey bees. This creation was intended so that humans will
always remember God's creation that must be preserved. The works
created are two-dimensional and three-dimensional. Likewise, Qulub
(2017) created interesting ceramic works inspired by roses. The work
created tends to display pure art. Rose flowers were processed in various
forms of ceramic works, both as three-dimensional shapes and as
decorations attached to the ceramic surface. Further, Zuhdi (2016) created
a ceramic flower vase inspired by honey bees. This flower vase ceramic
was created using the techniques of cast, pinch, twist, and slab, and
coloring was completed using dye and brush techniques. Ahmadi (2016)
describes several craft products inspired by Purwa leather puppets. Craft
products created from Purwa leather puppets include experimental
puppets, wall hangings, sitting lamps, room dividers, single fans, Kresna
motif mascots, and a small puppet of Wisanggeni. Based on the articles
above, it is clearly explained that no one has yet created ceramic that apply

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the Kamasan puppet, thus, the creation of Kamasan ceramic is a new

creation of ceramic.
Some of the written works described above took wayang (puppet) as an
idea to embody craftwork such as the researches of Mudana (2016) and
Ahmadi (2016), while the creation of other ceramic crafts was inspired by
objects outside the puppet. Mudana’s (2016) research describes the
development of Kamasan puppets in various handicraft products made
from woven bamboo and canvas. Meanwhile, Ahmadi's (2016) research
describes several craft products inspired by Purwa leather puppets. It
shows that the creation of Kamasan puppet ceramic is a new and unique
work because the Kamasan puppet painting is applied to ceramic products
by painting techniques using special materials to paint on the ceramic
surface and the finishing is done by the combustion process. The
Kamasan puppet is considered as a unique work because the art style of
Kamasan puppet painting is the only one in Bali, which can be found in
Kamasan Klungkung village. Kamasan puppet painting is also known as
classical painting and existed in the 17th century, which is during the
kingdom era in Klungkung Regency, Bali (Pranata, 2019, and Mudra,
2020).
The creation of Kamasan puppet ceramics is expected to streng then
the national identity and introduce traditional cultural arts at the national
and international levels. Besides, this creation is also part of
conservationas it serves activities to protect the Kamasan puppet as a
cultural heritage of past arts. However, we believe that as long as the
Kamasan puppet can bring economic value to the community, the
Kamasan puppet will remain sustainable in the community. Likewise, this
creation is expected can increase the diversity of ceramic products which
so far have not been widely discussed by ceramic artists. Therefore, this
research aims to explain the creation process of Balinese Kamasan
ceramic, starting from making sketches, shaping ceramic bodies,
combustion, giving puppet ornaments, final combustion, and the types of
products that are made. Also, it will discuss the meaning that can be
perceived by the realization of the Kamasan puppet. Kamasan puppet
ceramic can be perceived as signs that convey various meanings. Every
product can be perceived as a sign that conveys a lot of meaning because
people's perceptions differ on the object and depend on their ability to
read the object (Harisah, 2008).

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METHODOLOGY

This research was conducted by creating ceramic of the Kamasan

puppet carried out by the research team consisting of the researchers
of this article. This research is qualitative. The characteristics of
qualitative research are as follows: use natural setting, the researcher acts
as a research instrument, use inductive data analysis, descriptive in
nature, and others (Hoepfl in Azmi, 2018). This research was conducted
in 2020 in Bali. Data collection was carried out using observation,
interview, and documentation techniques (Gunawan, 2013). The data
source was determined by using purposive sampling. The data sources of
this research are ceramic products decorated with Kamasan puppet
motifs, the creators of Kamasan puppet ceramics s, Kamasan puppet
painter I Made Sesangka (58 years old), and Kamasan puppet
researcher I Nyoman Wiwana (67 years old). The data collected were
obtained off line and on line and analyzed through interpretive
methods. This method is used because the data collected is qualitative
data explaining social and cultural events, the facts are unique, fluid (not
rigid), has social context and meaning (Muslim, 2018). Besides, this
research is classified as social research so that it is relevant to be
approached with an interpretive approach. The interpretive approach is
usually associated with qualitative social science (Babones, 2016). The
success of this study is determined by the depth of the researchers'
interpretation supported by complete data.

RESEARCH RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Ceramic as the subject of this research are s made of ceramic material

and decorated with Balinese Kamasan puppet images applied with the
painting technique. Ceramics are generally known in the community
as objects made of clay that is combusted at a certain temperature,
whether coated with glaze or not. Some also mention that ceramics are
products made of composite materials that have better high-
temperature resistance, wear, and corrosion than superalloys but have
fragility features (Subiyanto & Subowo in Setiawan, 2017). Meanwhile,
the latest definition of ceramics states that ceramics are a mixture of metal
and non-metal materials (Vlack,

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2004, in Sari, 2013). Ceramic crafts in Indonesia can be found in the form
of porcelain, tiles, jugs, sculptures, or crafts products (Setiawan, 2017).
Wayang (puppet) culture in Indonesia, especially in Java, has been
known since prehistoric times and is estimated to have existed since 1,500
B.C (Sudjarwo, Sumari, Undung Wiyono, in Nurgiyantoro, 2011). Wayang
then developed in various regions in Indonesia according to the local
language, literature, and traditions such as the Sundanese and Balinese
regions which gave birth to unique and distinctive wayang arts. Wayang
culture in Indonesia can be found in the form of literary works,
performing arts, and fine arts. Wayang has been known as traditional
literature that meets the qualifications of a masterpiece, literary works,
and/or noble culture, even the Indonesian wayang gained recognition as a
world masterpiece in Paris on November 7, 2003 (Wibisono in
Nurgiyantoro, 2011). It implies that wayang is an Indonesian culture that
contains a high value for human life and exists from time to time as well
as an inspiration in creating fine arts, performing arts, and literary arts. In
this research, Kamasan puppet art becomes an inspiration as an ornament
in creating products from ceramic materials. Ornaments are components
of art products that are embedded or deliberately made for decoration
purposes (Gustami in Supatmo, 2016). Ornaments serve to beautify the
decorated objects so that the productsare more beautiful, more
meaningful, and more valuable.
The Kamasan puppet ceramics are made in several stages, starting
from the preliminary study, making sketches, to the stage of the work
creation. A preliminary study is carried out on ceramic products that have
been circulating both offline and online. This preliminary study is useful
for finding out the types of ceramic that have been created by ceramic
artists or craftsmen. By finding the ceramic products that have been
created by the artists, then a different product from the preliminary study
results can be designed. Besides the study of the results of ceramic
products, there was also a direct study of the Kamasan puppet in Kamasan
Village, Klungkung Regency, Bali Province. The purpose of this
preliminary study is to observe the Kamasan puppet painting style directly
which will inspire ornaments in the making of ceramic. Furthermore, these
ceramic artists begin to make sketches of basic ceramic shapes that will be
created based on the analysis of the results of the preliminary study.

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In one image design, several design variants are made, and then one
design is selected which is manifested in the form of ceramic works. There
are 10 designs of varying sizes. Some of the designs made include names:
round holy water container, bottle jar, even holy water container,
regular holy water container, curved jar, wave vase, hand pitcher, wave
bottle, bottle bracelet, concave jar, and slim bottle. The size of the
design starts from the ceramic body diameter of 16 cm and a height of
17 cm to a diameter of 21 cm and a height of 36 cm. Some of the
ceramic body designs have a use function such as several types of
chairs and vases and those with decorative functions such as some of the
types of jars aforementioned. The use functions designed are likely to
change into decorative functions because of the beauty of the product
appearance. It may happen after the product reaches to the users’ hands
because the users have the freedom to function the product. In addition,
the researchers believe that this work can convey social class messages
from consumers because the social class of individuals can be expressed
by several variables, such as wealth or ownership (Sulistyowati, 2013).
The process of creating a ceramic body is then carried out in the ceramic
handicraft business, namely UD Tri Surya Keramik in Kapal village,
MengwiBadung. This handicraft business is a partnership established by
the team of Kamasan puppet ceramics artists. Partners are also allowed to
market the product they were working on. The embodiment of a ceramic
body uses stoneware ceramic soil. The forming technique is carried out by
rotary technique using an electric wheel rotating machine which is often
called an electric wheel. The forming of this ceramic body is a technique
commonly used in the formation of ceramic bodies. The rotary molding
technique is the most well-known technique and is widely used by ceramic
or pottery craftsmen in Bali. In the initial formation of this ceramic body,
some designs are realized in one formation stage and some designs are
carried out in two stages. The two-stage process referred to is the first
stage is the formation of the lower body and the second stage is the
formation of the upper body. After it is well-dried, then the lower body
and upper body of the ceramic are united into one whole body and then
proceed with tidying the bottom of the ceramic. Then, performing drying
until the remaining water is completely gone. Drying is only done in a

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room that is not exposed to sun light so that that drying can be done slowly
and the ceramic body does not break easily. According to craftsmen, a
two-stage forming process is carried out to obtain a good shape according
to the design set by the designer. This forming technique is the creation
of the craftsman in realizing the work according to the previous experience
and is not a necessity depending on the skills of each craftsman in creating
the ceramic body.
After the drying process is carried out and the ceramic body is
completely dry, then the first combustion process is continued. This first
combustion process is often referred to as bisque with a combustion
temperature of up to 1000°C, the aim is to streng then the ceramic body
so that the glaze can be applied properly. The ceramic body that has been
burned by bisque is then given a layer of white glaze by dipping technique,
then the ceramic body which has been coated with glaze is burned in a
firing furnace with a mature temperature of 1250°C. The application glaze
to the ceramic body can add value the ceramics, improve appearance, and
resistant the water. Glaze is a thin layer of glass that is attached the surface
the ceramic body which is obtained through the combustion process
(Pradell, 2020). The purpose of this second combustion is to mature the
glaze layer on the ceramic body to facilitate the next process, which is the
ornamentation of the Kamasan puppet image with painting technique on
the glaze. In the process of applying the ornament, a special ceramic
material is used in the form of powder and the liquid is oil. The person
must be competent in painting Kamasan puppets on ceramic bodies. In
retrieving Kamasan puppet paintings in Kamasan Klungkung Village,
several painters found had never painted Kamasan puppets with ceramic
painting materials. It was stated by Mr. Made Sesangka, a Kamasan puppet
painter in Kamasan Klungkung Village in 2019. The team creating this
ceramic finally chose I Wayan Roky to apply puppet ornaments to the
ceramic media. This painter is known to have good skills in painting
Kamasan puppets on ceramic media. Roky, in an interview in June 2020,
said that the ability to paint wayang on ceramic media is a rare ability that
not many people pursue because the process is quite complicated and it is
feared that no one will continue in the future.
After the process of applying the Kamasan puppet painting ornament
to the ceramic body, it is followed by the third combustion process, which
is combustion tomature the Kamasan puppet ornament with a

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combustion temperature of up to 1000°C using an electric furnace. A

mature ornament makes the ornament firmly attached to the ceramic body
and it does not come off easily and looks more beautiful because at a good
maturity level the color becomes shinier. The third combustion processof
ceramic is the final process and the embodiment of the Kamasan puppet
ceramic. To make it easier to understand the process stages of the
embodiment of this ceramic, it is shown in the following chart:

Figure 1. The stages for the embodiment of Kamasan ceramic puppet s.

Source: I Wayan Mudra, 2020.

The whole process of creating the Kamasan puppet ceramic is long and
detailed. Itis because the combustion process is carried out three times, at
the final stage, namely combustion to mature the ornament. The process
of combusting ceramic products generally consists of two stages, namely
bisque and glaze combustion. Therefore, this process requires the patience
of the research team and partners in accomplishing this work, with the
expectation that the results obtained are in accordance with the plan and
are also of interest to the wider community. Some of the results of
Kamasan ceramic puppet s that were successfully realized with partners
and included in this research are presented as follows.

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Figure 2. Round Jar A. Figure 3. Round Jar B.

This jar is embedded with Rama, This jar is embedded with Hanoman
Sugriwa, and Subali puppet ornaments. and Shinta puppet ornaments.
(Document: I Wayan Mudra, 2020). (Document: I Wayan Mudra, 2020).

Figure 4. Sangku 1. Figure 5. Sangku 2.

This sangku is embedded with Rama, This sangku is embedded with Dewi
Laksmana, Wibisana, and Hanoman Shinta, Laksmana, and Rsi puppet
puppet ornaments. ornaments. (Document: I Wayan
(Document: I Wayan Mudra, 2020). Mudra, 2020).

In Figure 2, the Round Jar A with 21cm in diameter and 23 cm in height

is decorated with the puppet figures of Rama, Sugriwa, and Subali. Sugriwa
and Subali are vanara characters from the Ramayana story. In this research,
only one side from three sides is shown, the figure of Sugriwa holding a
bow. The story described in this work is a fierce battle between Sugriwa

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and Subali that never ends, which is part of the story of the play Cupu
Manik Astagina and often called the play Guwarsa Guwarsi (Wibowo,
2026). The fight was then ended by the presence of a prince from the
Ayodhya Kingdom named Sri Rama, with various considerations he finally
killed Subali. The story of the battle between Sugriwa and Subali is found
in several different versions. Many values can be learned from the battle
story of Sugriwa and Subali, for example, love siblings, love each other,
respect each other, accept each other's weaknesses and strengths, avoid
fights, properly filter the information so it protects from hoaxes, and so on.
In figure 3, Round Jar B has a slightly larger size than the previous jar,
applying ornaments with the figures of Hanoman, Dewi Shinta, and their
servants. This piece has a size of 28cm in diameter and 29cm in height. In
this ornament, Hanoman tells the story when he handed the ring to Dewi
Shinta, witnessed by Shinta's servant. Hanoman is a messenger from Rama
to hand over the ring to his wife Shinta who was kidnapped by Rahwana,
the king of Alengka. The ring was used by Rama to measure Dewi Shinta's
loyalty to Rama. If the ring was loosely worn by Shinta, it showed that
Shintawas concerned about Rama, and conversely, if it was unfitted, it
meant that Shintawas happy to be in Rahwana's place (Suryanto, 2014). In
this story, the value of loyalty to the partner shown by Shinta and the
loyalty of subordinates to superiors shown by Hanoman can be learned.
Loyalty is evidence of obedience to anyone based on true beliefs, as shown
by Shinta and Hanoman. This story also provides learning about sincere
devotion to superiors who are believed to have exemplary truth.
In picture 4 above, Sangku 1 is 27cm in height up to the lid and 19cm
in diameter. This work is decorated with puppet images of the characters
Rama, Laksmana, Wibisana, and Hanoman. Sangku in Bali is daily used as
a container of holy water (tirta) in religious ceremonies or traditional
ceremonies. Apart from clay, there are also sangku made of metal and vary
in shape. In the above work, it shows you the ornaments of Rama and
Laksmana are wrapped around a dragon. The snippet of the story is that
after Wibisana was expelled by Rahwana there was a disaster. Rama and
Laksamanawere hit by Meganada's magic arrow called Nagapasa. The only
medicine that could free them was the Lata Mahusadi plant. Wibisana said
that this plant only existed at the top of the Himalayas. Then, Wibisana
sent Hanoman to look for these plants. The value that can be learned from

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this story is the mightiness of a weapon, about toughness, and also about
loyalty.
Meanwhile, Figure 5 shows Sangku 2, which has almost the same shape
as the previous sangku and has almost the same size. This form is taken
from the basic forms of pottery that are often made by traditional Balinese
pottery craftsmen. This sangku is decorated with pictures of Dewi Shinta,
Laksmana, and the priest. The footage of the story begins with the
romance of Rama and Shinta in the middle of the forest asRama hunted
because of his mother's request. At that time a deer appeared and caught
Shinta's attention, then she told Rama to catch the deer. Rama hunting for
the deer caused his distance from Shinta even further. This condition was
used by Rahwana's envoy, Marica, to approach Shinta. Shintawas worried
about Rama who was even further from her. Finally, Shinta told Laksmana
(Rama's younger brother) to ensure Rama's safetyas Shinta heard screams
from a distance. Laksmana was ordered by Rama to look after Shinta
during the hunt. Before carrying out Shinta's order, Laksmana drew a
safety circle line around Shinta, under the condition that Shinta did not
cross the line. Rahwana, who knew the power of the impassable circle of
Laksmana's circle, transformed into a priest who was hungry and begged
Shinta. Shinta forgot herself and left the circle because she wanted to help
the priest, then was kidnapped by the incarnation priest Rahwana
(Yadnyawati, 2019).
The next description is the meaning of the creation of Kamasan puppet
ceramic. Researchers used Ferdinand de Saussure's theory in discussing
the meaning of wayang Kamasan ceramic. Ferdinand de Saussure is known
as the father of Semiotics/Semiology, a figure who plays an important role
in the science of semiotics. Saussure mentions sign is everything for the
other (Saussure in Purwadi 2013). In other words, it can be stated that a
sign is anything that can represent something other than itself. Saussure
introduced a sign consisting of a signifier and a signified. Likewise, the
Kamasan puppet ceramic can be read as a sign consisting of a signifier and
a signified according to Saussure theory. The sign can be read as a non-
singular second meaning. The connotative meaning is plural, but it does
not mean that the subjective individual is shared, social, structured, and
flexible (Thwaites, 2002). The second meaning of this ceramic puppet can
be explained as follows.

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The meaning of creativity. Creativity can be defined as the ability to

respond, provide solutions, and the ability to create something new.
Therefore, creativity is based on flexibility, fluency, smartly, and
intelligence (Campbell in Sunarto, 2018). Zabelina (2018) mention
“creativity is a way of embracing originality and making unique
connections between seemingly disparate ideas. The root meaning of the
word “create” means to “arise, grow,” therefore creativity and innovation
is a growing of sorts-from an individual to the entire civilization”. In the
Kamasan puppet ceramics, the creativity meaning of a ceramic artist is
attached which has not previously been done by ceramic creators,
especially in the field of Kamasan puppet painting on ceramic bodies using
ceramic paint. Previously, ceramic artists had created ceramic works with
puppet motifs but did not refer to the Kamasan puppet and did not use
ceramic colors which required combustion at the finishing stage. Thus, the
product produced at a certain temperature, the ornament can be separated
from the ceramic body. An example of this work is the ceramic works of
I Gede Yuliawan, which also uses puppet as an ornament, but does not
refer to the Kamasan puppet and its finish uses paint that is not combusted
in the final process (Yuliawan, 2017). This is very different from making
Kamasan puppet ceramic which can resist hot and cold conditions because
the combustion eventually reaches 10000C. That is the novelty of the
creation of this ceramic which is part of the creativity of the artists.
The meaning of preservation. Kamasan puppet ceramic can also be
interpreted as a sign that has the meaning of preservation and love for
traditional culture, which is the Kamasan puppet painting. In the creation
of this ceramic art, the Kamasan puppet is only used to decorate ceramic
products and it means helping to preserve Kamasan puppets through
ceramic works. Kamasan puppet will be increasingly known to the public
internationally through scientific papers such as this paper. More and more
information is disclosed to the international public so the traditional
culture of the Kamasan puppet is increasingly known and expected to help
to preserve its existence. Kamasan puppet painting needs to be preserved
because it is a unique past culture and is still practiced today in Kamasan
Village, Klungkung Regency, Bali. Kamasan puppet painting as a past
culture can be considered as a cultural capital viewed from Bourdieu's
capital theory (Purwanto, 2013). This attitude of preservation and love for
culture must be possessed by all parties, according to the expertise of each

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of these cultural actors. The preservation of Kamasan puppet painting in

the future will become a joint responsibility of the Indonesian and even
the world, which previously has been the sole responsibility of the
community of Kamasan Village. In the art of Kamasan puppet painting
contains values reflecting human life which are conveyed through the
depiction of characters. Kamasan puppet painting is estimated to have
existed during the reign of King Dewa Agung Made in Semarapura in the
17thcentury. This king is said to be fond of art so that art in Klungkung at
that time experienced magnificent progress. During the reign of this king,
a puppet painter was very popular with the king because of his expertise
named Gede Mersadi. Because of his expertise, Mersadi painted puppets
and the king gave the name after Mudara. Mudara became a well-known
figure in the discourse of Kamasan wayang painting in Klungkung Regency,
Bali. Kamasan puppet painting is also known as Traditional Classical
Balinese Painting because it has an uger-uger, regulations binding that are
preserved from generation to generation (Kanta in Nirma, 2010).
The meaning of economy. According to Saussure's theory, the creation
of Kamasan puppet ceramic can be perceived as a sign that has economic
meaning. This ceramic work can be produced by ceramic craftsmen to be
marketed to the public space to get a response from potential consumers.
The prices offered for this product are adjusted to the cost of production
and existing market conditions so that the producers can obtain economic
benefits. Besides that, producers must consider the market segmentation
they want to target so that the product is in demand and purchased by
potential consumers, thus the continuity of production is maintained.
Hermawan Kartajaya in Oentoro (2012:35) explains market segmentation
means observing the market creatively, which is the art of identifying and
taking advantage of opportunities in the market trend. The market has
great power in determining the art products produced by producers
(Bourdieu, 1993). In this case, this ceramic product with good quality work
is believed to be well accepted by consumers according to the established
market segmentation. Good quality can be measured from the accuracy of
the Kamasan puppet form, the detail and level of neatness, and the
attractive shape of the ceramic body. The good quality of this product has
a good chance of winning the market competition. Thus, this ceramic can
be developed as a creative economy business. Creative Economy includes
crafts, art, design, architecture, fashion, film, music, performing arts,

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publishing, research and development (R&D), software, toys and games,

television and radio, and video games (Howkins, 2001).
The meaning of national identity. This ceramic product can also be
interpreted as a work that can visualize national identity, namely the
identity of the Indonesian nation which is lifted from the local Balinese
culture. This ceramic works as an identity that has different characteristics
from other products. The difference can be seen from the Balinese wayang
ornaments applied to these products. Not many ceramic artists have
created ceramic works that elevate local culture such as this Balinese puppet.
It is also expected that these works can become Indonesia's national identity,
although it takes a long and difficult process to accomplish because these
works are taken from regional cultural identities for Indonesian identities.
Therefore, efforts to introduce ceramic creations must continue to be made
through exhibitions and publications at the national and international
levels. National identity is the identity of a nation that is bound by physical
and non-physical similarities. Physical similarities can be seen from
culture, religion, and language (Chotimah, 2018).

CONCLUSIONS

The process of creating this Kamasan puppet ceramic was quite a

long process, starting from making sketches, forming ceramic bodies,
combustion, embedding puppet ornaments, to the final combustion which
shows that the work has been completed. Each stage of the process is
performed meticulously and in detail to obtain good results. This creation
results in several ceramic products with the identity of Balinese Kamasan
puppet ornaments. The types of products produced consist of several
forms of sangku and jars which are served varying in size and ornament
motifs. Each ornament in the work is a snippet of a puppet story filled
with life values that can be used as learning in living this life. Good and
bad traits are always a coined fate that cannot be separated in this life. The
application of Balinese Kamasan puppet motifs makes the appearance of
this ceramic works to be unique and interesting. Likewise, many meanings
can be perceived from the creation of these ceramic works, including the
meaning of creativity, the meaning of preservation, the meaning of
economics, and the meaning of national identity. These meanings are
always hidden behind the product of the work, therefore, attention is

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needed to understand and express. As the findings of this study, the

creation of ceramic works requires a long time and high accuracy,
especially in applying the Kamasan puppet ornament which is done with
the painting technique. Therefore, the process of creating this Kamasan
puppet ceramic requires a lot of patience to produce works with good
quality. This long process can affect production costs and the selling price
of the product becomes expensive.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The researchers would like to thank various parties who have

helped to create this ceramic works, including UD Tri Surya Ceramics,
Kapal village, Mengwi Badung, Mr. I Made Sesangka who helped in
implementing Balinese Kamasan ornament motifs, and fellow
lecturers of the Craft Study Program, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design
of Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Denpasar for supporting the
creation and writing of this work. Also, the researchers would like to
thank the Director of Research and Community Service of the Ministry
of Research and Technology/ National Research and Innovation
Agency who has provided funds for the creation of this ceramic work.

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