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onfidence has always been an integral part of the spirit of Prapto Wiyono, 73, who has pursued his vocation as a craftsman of blangkon, the traditional Javanese male headdress for more than half a century.

The friendly Mbah (a term of respect for the elderly) Prapto remains perhaps the only person in Ponosutan, Nanggulan Kulonprogo Yogyakarta, around 35 kilometers West of Yogyakarta city, who still loyally follows the blangkon craft he inherited from his father.

"A long time ago, back in the 60s, this village was the center for making headdresses. But those golden years are now just a memory. Headdress-making has long been abandoned," said Prapto who has been making blangkon since 1953.

For Prapto, life means work. If one is willing to work seriously, then good fortune must follow. That's why the grandfather of five is totally absorbed by his work when he is making blangkon, eking out a living for his family.

"That's why I do not want to just make ordinary blangkon, or to make off-the-peg headdresses. I do it with all my heart," Prapto continues.

"Making blangkon is a work of art so it must be done with total dedication."

Mbah Prapto always chooses good batik material. To make a headdress, persistence, and patience are also required.

Up to now, Prapto's blangkon are the most expensive in the Yogyakarta area, ranging from Rp 150,000 (US$15) to Rp 350,000, when prices elsewhere can be as low as Rp 40,000.

"If people think it's too expensive, well, too bad! It's certainly not because I make much profit," the artist said.

"Remember this is a work of art, so I want to be satisfied when I see my work, and the buyers must also be satisfied," he added excitedly.

By maintaining the quality and involving a sense of artistry, Mbah Prapto's headdresses continue to be popular.

Faculty members and students of Yogyakarta's Indonesian Art Institute (ISI), for example, recently ordered a dozen headdresses for cultural performances in the US in 2009.

Artists and intellectuals tend to buy his blangkon, such as the comedian Rabies from Yogya, puppeteer Ki Enthus Susmono from Tegal, and Widayat, a group leader of ketoprak (a Javanese drama featuring historical events).

"One day, while I was watching a ketoprak comedy group led by Timbul on the RCTI *TV channel*, I noticed all the performers were wearing my handmade headdresses," Mbah Prapto giggled.

Prapto inherited the tools he uses to make the headdresses - especially the fitting device called a plonco -from his ancestors.

"This is my legacy, passed down from generation to generation, so they are already hundreds of years old."

Because of his ability to make these headdresses, this grandfather who graduated from a public school, also became a member of the Yogyakarta Palace community.

He was even asked to become a palace servant, but respectfully declined, because he wanted to serve everyone through making his blangkon.

Buyers of Prapto's headdress will often have to wait three to four months before their order is completed.

Prapto likes to take a flexible approach with every customer. This means the buyers may bring batik fabrics from home, so the job is easier to do. The Yogyakarta palace community prefer it that way.

The specialist Yogyakarta-style headdress maker admitted he also knew how to make headdresses in the Solo style, but chose not to do so. Whenever Prapto's heart is not into it, or the job is not appropriate, he can almost guarantee the blangkon will not fit properly.

"So when I make a headdress in the Solo style, my heart doesn't feel right. Even though the results, am told look good, in my eyes it just isn't right. Therefore I would rather stick to one style, namely the Yogya one," he said.

Despite his blangkon being popular, some buyers haven't collected their headdresses, and a few have had to be remade.

"I also receive headdresses that have started to fall apart, so I separate these to retrieve the cloth and then make the headdress again."