Indonesia has a diversity of cultures and arts. With the multiethnic people, we can find various traditional craft made from various material of natural resource. In the history of Indonesian stamp issuance, there was a lot of Crafts stamp been issued, such as bronze, earthenware vessels from different province all around the Indonesia archipelago.

On December 23, 2006, The Directorate General Post and Telecommunication of The Republic of Indonesia issuing The Indonesian Crafts Stamp Series. These stamps depicting Rattan Craft from East Kalimantan and Bananaleaf Craft from Bali. On the same time Pos Indonesia issuing First Day Cover of this series.

Rattans Craft from east Kalimantan. Rattans are spiny climbing palms in the tropical forests that can attain lengths of over 185 metres. There are 13 rattan genera with 700 known species.

Growing in the tropics and sub-tropics, rattan, or cane as it is commonly known, is a ready source for the cane furniture industry. It is collected from the wild forests throughout Southeast Asia and is the most vital forest produce after timber. 

Because of its strength and flexibility, the stem of rattan is used extensively in the manufacture of cane furniture and in matting. Other uses of rattan, mostly in the rural areas, are for cordage, in construction, basketry, thatching and matting. Long before the Portuguese discovered the trade route to the East and took back rattan (along with the other wonder, spices) it had been an invaluable part of the life of the rural folk throughout Southeast Asia.

In the 1970s, Indonesia became the major supplier of rattan, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the entire global trade. Since then, the trade profile had undergone dramatic changes. The value of export has increased a stupendous 250-fold n just 17 years in Indonesia. the rise has been 75-fold in 15 years in the Philippines, 23-fold in 9 years in Thailand and 12-fold in 8 years in Malaysia.

Rattan is increasing in popularity because it is easy to work with, requiring only simple tools and low-cost machines. It lends itself to uncomplicated labour-intensive processing and thus generates diverse employment, and its manufacturing costs are minimal. It is environmentally friendly and biodegradable: it "hugs" the tree and saves them from the logger's axe by providing equal or more benefit than the companion tree, without disturbing the natural habitat.  

Rattan has a unique beauty i the finished goods from, reflecting the traditional skills and the unique allure of material fashioned by human hands. Rattan products have come t be cherished throughout world for their elegance and simplicity.

Bananaleaf Crafts is the one of Balinese crafts, precisely from Tegal Lalang village, Ubud. Bananaleaf Crafts is the innovative traditional craft which combined wood material and dried banana leaf. Besides using a banana leaf, they also made some variation by using other materials, such  banana stem, lotus lef, even petai-cina leaf, although thi crafts still known s bananaleaf.

Actually, banana leaf is not a main material of this product. Bananaleaf use to cover a main from (such as wood lathe vas or wood box). Sometime they add some color to the leaf, or keep it on its natural color. They also add other material to decorate this craft.  

TECHNICAL DETAIL

STAMPS

Classification of issuance : Special Stamp

Product code        : 061012

Issue Date            : 23 December 2006

Designs & Denominations : 1/2  East Kalimantans's Rattan Craft : Rp 1.500,00

                                          2/2 Bali's Banana Leaf Craft :  Rp 1.500,00                                         

Size                      : 25,31 mm x 41,06 mm 

Perforations          : 12.75 x 13.50

Colour                  : 6 colors

Paper                    : White unwatermarked

Gum                      : PVA

Printing Process     : Offset & Rotogravure

Printing quantity     : 100,000 sets

Sheet composition : 20 pieces (5x4) 

Price per-Sheet      : Rp 30,000.00 

 Designer                : Guntur  

Printer                   : Perum PERURI  

FIRST DAY COVER (FDC)

Product code     : 062012 

Price    : Rp 5.000,00/set

Printing quantity : 4,000 sets

Designer           : Tata Sugiarta

STAMP SALES PERIOD: 23 December 2006 - 31 December 2009

Period of Validity for Postage : 23 December 2006 - 31 December 2011

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