Khombo painting, the masterpiece of Papua, is one of the masterpieces of the land of Cendrawasih. Papua has won domestic and foreign tourists’ hearts worldwide with so many masterpieces and treasures.
For those who have just known and heard about the Khombo painting, read till the end to enrich your outlook on the richness of Indonesia in Papua.
Khombo Painting, a Masterpiece of The Land of Cendrawasih
Handicrafts from every province are various,, and Khombo painting is one of them that steals the heart of the beholder easily. Let’s get to know more about this handicraft from Papua.
Originally from Sentani
Khombo is a wood painting from Sentani Timur, precisely, Kampung Asei Besar. It has been the ancestor’s heritage and is now loved by many people, especially from Europe. This handicraft from Sentani attracts foreign tourists because of its uniqueness and originality.
Khombo, back then, was only for married women to wear. It has a high and deep philosophy for Sentani People. Khombe took crucial rules in 3 major phases in human life: birth (to wrap the baby), wedding ceremony, and death (to wrap the dead body).
The function of Khombo today has changed. People used to wear it. But today, Khombo has become a lovely souvenir for tourists to buy.
Has 12 Famous Motives
Khombo, according to a study, has 12 famous motives, such as sun, snake, house lizard, lizard, fish, stork legs, bat, eel, flying squirrel, leaves, forest flowers, spiral, or circle. These various choices make the paintings even more appealing.
When you visit Papua, especially Sentani, you can see so many Khombos to buy in souvenir or handicraft stores. So, it is the right gift for special people when you come home after traveling on this beautiful island.
Some motives of Khombo are only for the leader of the custom, named Ondofolo, Khoselo, etc. Usually, the objects of the painting would be crocodiles and yoniki.
How Do People From Sentani Create Khombo Painting?
How the people of Sentani make the painting is still conventional and manual. Only the ways they cut the trees now are different because of today. Many tools are available to make the jobs done more efficiently.
- First, they prepare the skin of fig and mulberry trees, beat them until they’re flat, dry them, and then use them as a canvas.
- Then, they paint various objects, such as animals and plants. Every painting has its own meaning, making the paintings more attractive.
- But, the painting process is not easy because of the harsh surface of the wood skin. So, it surely takes time. The fastest painting time is 10 minutes. But usually, the panting is done after an hour or so.
How Do the Artists of Sentani Color the Khombo?
This might be a question in your head when seeing so many Khombo with various motives and colors. They use natural sources to emerge the colors. They use wood charcoal to create black color, lime betel mixed with coconut oil for white color, and pounded bricks or stone for red color.
Every process step is natural and needs the artists’ patience and creativity. That is why Khombo has its own charm that attracts tourists from around the world.
Final Words
After reading about Khombo from the elaboration above, what do you think of this Papua’s handicraft? As Indonesian people, we must know more about the treasures of our country than foreigners. Only by then can we value more of them.
Papua has it all to be the most charming place to visit for tourists. Besides its amazing nature and view, Khombo painting the masterpiece of Papua is a great treasure that we all must appreciate and preserve.
