Police search for owner of painting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Police investigation of a missing \"Affandi\"
\npainting has so far raised more questions than answers.<\/p>\n
The Cilandak Police station in South Jakarta said on Tuesday
\nthey had only established that the owner of the missing painting
\nis not Nindia, the owner of the house from where it was stolen in
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
\"We have information that the owner is out of the country,\"
\nhead of the station, Maj. Nurhayati said.<\/p>\n
\"We will be waiting for Nindia or whoever the owner is to
\nexplain about the painting,\" she said, adding \"It is not easy to
\ntrace a missing painting.\"<\/p>\n
In February, police had to review their investigation into the
\ntheft at Nindia's house in Jl. Anggur III\/30 following newspaper
\nadvertisements offering a Rp 100 million ($13,700) reward to any
\none who could lead to the recovery of the painting.<\/p>\n
The advertisement, which appeared in The Jakarta Post, Kompas
\nand Suara Pembaruan, gave a blurred black-and-white print of the
\npainting, with a note saying that it is believed to be Affandi's,
\nthe late Indonesian master. The advertisement by PT Indonesia
\nMegah said the piece measured 166 by 124 centimeters.<\/p>\n
There was no mention of a missing painting when Nindia first
\nreported the theft at her house.<\/p>\n
Art experts are also puzzled by the case, saying that the
\npainting as it appeared in the newspaper advertisements did not
\nfeature in any existing catalog listing Affandi's works. But they
\nadd that Affandi produced hundreds of paintings.<\/p>\n
Most of them, as reported by Kompas, have difficulties in
\nmaking judgment based on a blurred photograph of the painting.<\/p>\n
Police have now written to Nindia asking her come to the
\nstation to help with their investigation but she has not
\nresponded and the house on Jl. Anggur is empty.<\/p>\n
\"Since she is not a suspect, we cannot do anything,\" Nurhayati
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia Megah, which placed the advertisement, refused to
\ncomment when contacted by phone on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"I'm afraid I can't help you with that, sorry,\" said a woman
\nwho identified herself as Dina.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, a museum curator who preferred anonymity
\nsaid that a painting by Basuki Abdullah, another noted painter,
\nhad been stolen from the Presidential Palace in Jakarta but was
\nlater retrieved in an art gallery in Bali.<\/p>\n
The stolen painting, a portrait of a former actress turned
\nfaith-healer, was returned to the palace by the gallery owner.<\/p>\n
The theft, that, according to the official, was obviously
\ncommitted by an insider, was not reported to the police. The
\noffender was immediately discharged.<\/p>\n
Basuki Abdullah, one of few Indonesian naturalist painters to
\nwin international fame, painted portraits of world leaders like
\nformer Indonesian presidents, Sukarno and Soeharto, Thai King
\nBhumibol Adulyadej, Pope John Paul II and the late queen Juliana
\nof the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
Basuki was murdered on Nov. 7 1993 at his home in Cilandak,
\nSouth Jakarta. (09\/ego)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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