Hobbies give more enjoyment than mere monetary gain<\/p>\n
By Yudha Kartohadiprodjo<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Have you ever seen a 20 million deutsche mark
\nnote? This note, displayed at the lobby of Sari Pan Pacific
\nHotel, Central Jakarta, is owned neither by a tycoon, nor a
\nbanking institution.<\/p>\n
It is a part of the numismatic collection of Satria Wira, the
\nDirector of Marketing Communication of the hotel.<\/p>\n
Printed in 1923, the note presently has little monetary value,
\nand didn't even at the time it was printed. Yet from a historical
\nperspective, the note represents a priceless era in contemporary
\nworld history. It was printed at the peak of hyperinflation that
\nlead to the rise of Nazism and Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n
The history behind items like this note motivated Wira to
\norganize the exhibition, which lasts until June 30.<\/p>\n
Wira, 53, salvaged the note 30 years ago from the trash can of
\nan expatriate who lived a few doors away from his family's
\nresidence in the Kemang area, South Jakarta. The expatriate, who
\nhappened to be a collector, had just returned to his home
\ncountry. The outrageous denomination printed on the note made the
\nexpat's servant dispose of the note assuming that it was a mere
\nnovelty.<\/p>\n
Wira, who happened to see the servant throwing it into a trash
\ncan on the side of street, asked for permission to take the
\n\"novelty\" from the trash, only to learn that the expatriate had
\nabandoned more of his collection inside the house.<\/p>\n
Wira brought the note to his friend at the National Museum.
\nAlthough the note holds a low monetary value, the friend assessed
\nit as an authentic bill.<\/p>\n
The note then became a part of Wira's vast numismatic
\ncollection of antique coins, bills and monetary tools. The oldest
\npiece in his collection is a monetary tool from the Majapahit
\nKingdom of Central Java (circa 1400).<\/p>\n
This note was not how he began the collection though. In his
\nchildhood, his grandmother gave him a silver coin as a gift.
\nThrilled by the shrill clink as he tossed the coin to the floor,
\nlittle Wira started to collect coins randomly for their sound.<\/p>\n
It was not until he started to take this hobby seriously that
\nhe learned that in the past sound was used to determine the value
\nof precious coins. The silver coin, dated 1764, is still part of
\nhis treasured collection.<\/p>\n
Besides the numismatic collection, there are also philatelic,
\nsea shell, telephone card, butterfly and suizeki collections
\ndisplayed in the hobby exhibition.<\/p>\n
\"We would like to popularize hobbies and inspire younger
\ngenerations to start hobbies like this. By collecting stamps,
\ncoins, fossils or sea shells, one may acquire a lot from the
\npast,\" said Wira. \"Besides, hobbies like this may provide us with
\nrelief from stressful daily routines.\"<\/p>\n
Wira is also exhibiting his collection of metal buttons. In
\nthe past, buttons indicated an individual's status within
\nsociety. Historically, kingdoms issued buttons with the rulers'
\ninitial on them to their subordinates. Rank, wealth and place of
\norigin may be reflected through an individuals' buttons. Uniforms
\nof higher ranking individuals were decorated with more attractive
\nbuttons.<\/p>\n
This tradition was not limited to aristocrats in Europe, but
\nwas also adopted by former kingdoms throughout Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"As a part of the Dutch colony, former kingdoms and regencies
\nin Java adopted the tradition and design of buttons from their
\nDutch rulers, perhaps for the prestige,\" added Wira.<\/p>\n
Old buttons from Surakarta and Yogyakarta Palaces are included
\nin his collection.<\/p>\n
Antique dealers usually come to Wira to offer additions to his
\ncollection, although he also loves to hunt for undiscovered
\ntreasures.<\/p>\n
\"The quest for items is actually one of the most interesting
\nparts of my hobby. Once I went to Beringhardjo market in
\nYogyakarta and found a bunch of buttons in the middle of a pail
\nof bolts. They were sold by their weight as scrap iron. Not until
\nI carefully polished them did I realize that they were made of
\nsuperior quality silver,\" Wira explained.<\/p>\n
He observed similar ignorance with gold coins. They were sold
\nby a jeweler for their weight, not by their historical value.
\nSome of his collection also came from farmers and fishermen who
\nfound the antiques in their fields or at the bottom of the ocean.<\/p>\n
\"Inadequate appreciation of history in our society is actually
\na blessing in disguise for an antique collector like me,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Suizeki, another one of the hobbies displayed in the
\nexhibition is popular among East Asian cultures. The word means
\nstone river in Japanese. People pursuing the hobby can spend
\nhours staring, almost in meditation, at stones with unique
\nshapes.<\/p>\n
\"The distinctive shapes and surfaces of a stone allow suizeki
\nfollowers to expand their imagination,\" said Rafles Rahid, the
\nDirector of Yorasaki Anggun Adinda, a supplier of suizeki stones.<\/p>\n
River stones from Batang Ombilin and Batang Antokan of West
\nSumatra are widely sought after. \"Each river has distinctive
\nstone characteristics. The uniqueness, however, should be formed
\nthrough natural causes. This is where the challenge comes,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Extraordinarily shaped stones hold higher value. \"Stones
\nresembling human sexual organs are the most expensive, because
\nthey are in great demand,\" Rahis explained.<\/p>\n
Another stand displays a collection of butterflies from Ambon,
\nEast Indonesia. Most of the butterflies are the result of
\ncultivation. \"By cultivating we avoid the extinction of these
\nbeautiful species, while at the same time enjoying their beauty,\"
\nsaid the stall keeper.<\/p>\n
Maintenance of these hobbies does not take a lot of time or
\neffort and is enjoyable too. Wira, for example, placed his
\nnumismatic collection in modified photo albums. By adding matted
\nboard to frame the notes, he has extra protection for his
\ncollection without spending a lot of money.<\/p>\n
\"As long as you keep the collection under the appropriate
\nconditions, that is by keeping it in dry, cool storage, you will
\nbe able to preserve your timeless collection. We just have to be
\na little creative and imaginative,\" he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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