Indonesia on a Plate

Sepiring Indonesia quite literally serves Indonesia on a plate. The vibrant, decorative crockery of this artistic brand brings the culture, colour and characters of the archipelago onto the dining room table.

The dining ware ware caught the attention of the judges.  The plates, bowls, and cups brought Jakarta’s festivities to life: abang none (Betawi man and woman), kembang goyang (flower-shaped snacks), roti buaya (crocodile-shaped bread), Yapong dancers, tanjidor (Betawi musical ensemble), and a variety of flora and fauna in the characteristic of cheerful colours of typical Betawi culture. The colourful collection entitled Joged Jakarta (Jakarta dancing) was competing in the 2012 Jakarta Souvenir Design Award (JSDA) and brought home the title of ‘Best Design’.

After winning the competition, creator and illustrator Eridanie Zulviana, was challenged by the chief judge and interior designer, Roland Adam, and his colleague Frank Hijmans, to expand this unique collection beyond the boundaries of Jakarta. To create a set of crockery that showcased Indonesian culture.

Accepting this challenge, Erin, as she goes by, created five more sets of this distinguished dining ware. They spanned the breadth of the archipelago through the country’s main islands, bringing Java (Jawa Semarak), Bali (Legong Bali), Minangkabau (Rancak Minang), Bugis (Bugis Makanja), and Dayak (Dayak Tatau) culture to the fore. This was the moment Sepiring Indonesia (a plate of Indonesia) was born, officially launched in 2013. 

“Sepiring Indonesia was born out of our love for Indonesian culture, as well as our worry about the quality of Indonesian souvenirs, which are almost entirely devoid of nuance. Jakarta is very big, there are many things we can explore that are not only ondel-ondel and Monas. For example, in Betawi culture, people like to send food to each other among their neighbours and family. This culture is called hantaran where they put the food on a set of plates consisting of large and small plates as well as bowls on the tray. That’s the idea we tried to bring capture and bring to JSDA. I sent two designs for the competition and Joged Jakarta design won Best Design. Furthermore, our work received a very good response from the market and also from arts enthusiasts. For us, it was beyond expectation. So, Sepiring Indonesia is to tell a story and raise awareness about Indonesian culture,” Erin shared with NOW! Jakarta.

The selection process for what ‘elements’ would feature on each plate was a long thought process. For Erin, plates are considered appropriate as souvenirs and objects of conversation on the dining table. The uniqueness of the plate can intrigue family members to open conversations about culture and can be a cultural ambassador by introducing Indonesia to the world. These plates have actually been in high demand by expatriates as unique mementos and as symbols of emotional ties to their time in the country.

Erin also recognises that a few years after the establishment of Sepiring Indonesia, the brand seemed to attract a market that crossed generations and socioeconomic position — in other words, everyone wanted it!