Joaquim Surumali preserves Timorese cultural heritage through jewelry

In their hands, the 'kaebauk', an ornament with buffalo horns, which represents the sun, strength, security, protection and power, traditionally worn on the head and on the roofs of sacred houses, takes the form of earrings and pendants to be worn on a necklace.

The 'belak', a bronze disc that symbolizes the moon and is worn on the chest and inside sacred houses, can also be purchased as earrings.

In Joaquim Sumali's workshop there is also no shortage of necklaces, called 'morten', usually orange in color, which bring luck and prosperity and ward off evil spirits and negative energies.

"I want to do this work. My father also worked with jewelry, he molded belak and kaebauk since the time of the Portuguese, and even now my brothers and sisters sometimes still make jewelry like kaebauk and belak in Dili," Joaquim Surumali told Lusa.

The 34-year-old jeweler emphasized that his art is a family tradition that continues to this day.

"I learned to make jewelry from my father and brothers. But our work comes from our own blood, from our father and from the elders who also made jewelry like the ones made today," explained Joaquim Surumali.

Joaquim Surumali makes jewelry in gold, silver or bronze, depending on his clients' preferences and budget.

The material, according to the jeweler, is purchased in East Timor, but most comes from Indonesia or Singapore, because resources in the country are scarce.

"Since people buy gold to place in sacred houses, it's no longer available. So we try to buy from abroad. Most of the time, customers bring the gold themselves, and we only charge for our labor," said the jeweler.

When asked about the prices of the jewelry, the artisan explained that a pure gold 'belak' can cost $600 and a 'morten' $100.

"Many Timorese buy these jewels, but also many Portuguese, especially teachers," he said.

Joaquim explained that the Portuguese appreciate these pieces because they see something unique and traditional about East Timor.

Timorese people buy them to place in their family's sacred houses, which can be seen in every municipality in the country. The most popular items are, above all, gold "belak."

Regarding monthly income from jewelry production, Joaquim Surumali said it can reach up to $500 per month, but that it depends on the number of customers and visits.

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