TRANSLATING NIFITALI-TALI JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES FROM NIAS TO CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY DESIGN

Abstract

The rich cultural heritage of Indonesia is a valuable source of inspiration. One of the valuable Indonesian heritages is the Nifitali - tali jewelry from the Nias island of West Sumatra. This study will go over how to use this resource in jewelry design. The process of making Niftali-tali jewelry is unique because it cannot be seen in any other traditional Indonesian jewelry making techniques, but as society changes, the craftsmen who were able to make it are no longer there because the jewelry has not been used for a long time. As a result, we take a material exploration approach, attempting to deliberately experiment with different ways to recreate the niftali-tali jewelry making technique. After achieving a working prototype, we create jewelry designs that represent the culture and story of the Nias People, which is the head-hunting customs, Finally, the study proposes contemporary jewelry design inspired by the Nias people's unique customs. The design process demonstrated in the study provide an insight on how product designers can be inspired by local cultures and translate them into value that creates strong product identity in the global market.