| In Central Java lies the city of Yogjakarta. The "Special | | | | Statues, Vases, Buddhas, Lava stone, sand stone, |
| Region of Yogyakarta" is a province of Indonesia on | | | | limestone items, Garden & Landscaping items, |
| the island of Java. It is the only province in Indonesia | | | | Pillars, Wells & Fountains) are offered by the local |
| that is still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate. | | | | craft shops, and buyers of the products will be |
| Here, hundreds and hundreds of small and large | | | | impressed about the professional skills of the masons, |
| factories can be found, producing accessories, stone | | | | and especially about the variety of stone and clay |
| carving articles handmade of natural mountain stone | | | | & ceramic products they are able to produce with |
| (e.g. lava stone, limestone, sandstone) as well as clay | | | | their bare hands. |
| & ceramic items, mainly clay pot or ceramics | | | | The local craftsmen sit together in dusty rooms, or |
| vases. | | | | even under the blazing sun, and swing their hammers |
| There is a temple to be found in very close proximity | | | | down to their chisels to form figures out of the bare |
| to Yogjakarta: the ancient Buddhist stone temple of | | | | stone blocks. They sweat together in hot clay |
| Borobudur, the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in | | | | factories, firing the ovens to harden the material, and |
| the world. It was built to resemble a microcosm of the | | | | color, sand and polish their precious products. One is |
| universe and its purpose was to provide a visual | | | | tempted to just grab some items right now, as |
| image of the teachings of the Buddha. Reliefs depicting | | | | gracefully hand carved pieces can be seen |
| the life of the Buddha cover the upper half of the main | | | | everywhere. |
| wall all around the first gallery of the monument, a total | | | | The international buyer in Yogjakarta is encouraged to |
| of 120 panels. | | | | purchase in bulk, otherwise the overall costs for both |
| These reliefs were carved to illustrate a text entitled | | | | the seller and the buyer are too high. Regarding the |
| the Lalitavistara, "The Unfolding of the Play." In the | | | | packing and shipping of the products a simple but |
| period 600 AD to 800 AD there was a golden age of | | | | reliable system is in place: the fragile and sometimes |
| temple construction throughout India, Ceylon and South | | | | quite large ceramic and stone products are wrapped |
| East Asia. It was a time when Hindu and Buddhist | | | | and then a wooden frame is constructed to hold and |
| kingdoms flourished and men raised magnificent | | | | protect the object during shipment. The items will then |
| monuments to heaven in praise of their gods. | | | | be sent north, to Java's port of Semarang, and from |
| In Yogjakarta, similar reliefs and much more (e.g. | | | | there being shipped to anywhere in the world. |
| Sculptures, Lamps, Reliefs of Borobudur, Elephants, | | | | |