Nusa Dua, Bali, (ANTARA News) - Round rattan bag typical of the Indonesian island of Lombok, popularized by singer Raisa and several celebrities on Instagram, was inspired by a craftsman specialized in items made of "ketak," a kind of plant that has ferns spreading out of the parent plant, in West Nusa Tenggara province.

"The original idea was to actually develop a round make-up. I put cloth inside it as a layer and then attached a rope and hook to it. That is why it was sold well," Bele Satria Putra, a small-sized entrepreneur who is taking part in Indonesia Pavilion held near Westin Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, stated on Saturday.

Putra did not imagine that his creation would receive positive responses from the public and would be a trend.

"At the beginning, I only displayed it in my shops in Ubud, and only a few people bought it. But since I took part in a trade expo in Jakarta, I received many orders," the owner of Bele Art Shop in Beleka, Praya Timur sub-district, Central Lombok district, West Nusa Tenggara province, noted.

He remarked that the workshop currently produces up to seven thousand bags per month and sells it at Rp145 thousand each. He has also exported the bags to Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

He suggested that anyone wishing to buy a round rattan bag of good quality must pay attention to several aspects. "Ketak and rattan are all the same. But one has to check if its rope is made of original leather or artificial leather. If it is original leather, it will be durable. Also the quality of the cloth inside it must be checked," he remarked.

If the bag is dirty, it can be cleaned using a toothbrush, he added.

Reporting by Ida Nurcahyani
Editing by Suharto

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Sri Haryati
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