Also available are chairs and tables made from grupel wood. Grupel wood is unique because it has a wavy design and it is very hard and is said to be available only in Morocco and Central Aceh. Here it grows in the Gayo Highlands and has a sweet smell and a flower-like shape. Many foreign furniture importers seek these new products rather than the usual rattan or teak.
Fortunately, foreign tourists do not have to go to such remote areas to purchase these products. In Jakarta one can find stores that market a wide range of handicrafts, including batik, items made from various kinds of wood while in many major cities there are showrooms managed by the local governments and in Jakarta there is the Sarinah department store.
Since its establishment Sarinah has been known as a shopping center that participates in the preservation of Indonesian traditional arts and here you can find a large variety of items that reflect the handiwork of many ethnicities from throughout the country.Indeed Indonesian handicrafts are one of the nation’s most valuable assets. (Burhan Abe)
The Jakarta Post, November 10, 2011
