Ceramic as an Expression of Local Culture: Conservation, Creativity and Adaptation to Change of a Ceramic Center in West Java

This article explores the function of the ceramic cottage industry as a means of conserving local culture. This descriptive-qualitative study presents the efforts of ceramic craftsmen in Purwakarta, West Java, Indonesia in preserving their culture. With the theory of structural functionalism, it was found that there were still religious elements and traditions that participated in the preservation of this culture, even though the times had changed to modern. Because of that local tradition, there must be a lot of conservation efforts from the government so that the culture is not lost in the days. Even so, there are still many who appreciate both at the national and community levels for the results of the local culture.