goodmorningpapua.com – The 2022 Asmat Pokman Festival has ended on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. The festival which lasts a week is closed with an auction of carvings and weaving by Asmat artists.
Who would have thought that the festival left an impression on the hunters of the art of carving and weaving. The carving hunters usually wait for the time to be involved in the auction process which is the culmination of the Asmat Pokman Festival.
Price bargaining occurs when the engraving is displayed by the engraving owner. The basic price offered varies, ranging from IDR 2 million to IDR 5 million. When the floor price is opened, the participants then make an offer.
The bidders came from various circles, ranging from the regent, deputy regent, chairman to members of the DPRD. Not only that, the Head of Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) of contractors and collectors did not want to miss the auction.
There was something that caught the attention of the many bidders, namely a woman wearing a hijab. She is Rukiya Ariadi, who is willing to fly far from Jayapura to Agats City, Asmat just to hunt for carvings and weaving.
This woman from South Sulawesi, was willing to change flights twice to get to Agats to witness the Asmat Festival and be directly involved as an auction participant.
It turns out that Rukiya Ariadi is the owner of the Adikarya Tanrisau Company who likes to collect carvings and weaves for personal use. Not infrequently, Rukiya is often involved in bidding on carvings with other auction participants.
There are several carvings won by Rukiya Ariadi. For example, engraving panels that cost up to IDR 20 million, not to mention woven which costs IDR 10 million.
“This is my first time participating in an auction at the Asmat Festival. I myself like the carvings and weaving from Asmat, since the Asmat tribe has been famous for a long time,” she told journalists.
Rukiya admitted that there were a number of carvings and weavings that were won at fantastic prices. These carvings and weaving, said Rukiya, will be used as personal collection items.
“Carvings and weaving from Asmat have a very high artistic value, and not everyone has the opportunity to own works of art from the Asmat tribe. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones to be able to attend directly as a participant,” she admitted proudly.