Surakarta's Triwindu market offers antiques and much more<\/p>\n
By Sulistyo Budi and Singgir Kartana<\/p>\n
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): As a tourist destination,
\nSurakarta has yet to gain the fame of nearby Yogyakarta or Bali.
\nIt is no reflection of its charms; in addition to its palaces,
\nbatik and regular traditional art events, the city of Bengawan
\nSolo river boasts the attraction of Pasar Triwindu antiques
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
The traditional market is located in the heart of the city,
\nalso known as Solo, not far from Mangkunegaran Palace, making it
\neasy to reach for tourists. Among the wares on offer are
\nlanterns, porcelain plates, sculptures, batik and heirlooms. Some
\nof the vendors claim their goods are hundreds of years old.<\/p>\n
In addition, there are also secondhand goods, such as
\nelectronics, spare parts and household wares. The old and new
\ngoods are not jumbled together, however, but sold separately as
\nthe location of less than a hectare is divided into two.<\/p>\n
It is a tourist draw, bringing in both local and foreign
\nvisitors. Basuki, one of the vendors, said foreign tourists were
\nparticularly enthusiastic about visiting the market. They usually
\ncome in December or July.<\/p>\n
\"The biggest sellers among foreigners are batik cloth and old
\nitems such as porcelain bowls. I was once asked by an American
\ntourist to find 100 old batik cloths, but I couldn't do it
\nbecause the deadline was very short. Finding such items is
\ndifficult,\" Basuki said.<\/p>\n
The heyday of the market, he added, occurred during the
\neconomic crisis from 1997 to 1999. He said it was a time of rich
\npickings for traders, but tourist numbers have dropped recently,
\nespecially after the anti-American sweep of hotels in October
\n2000.<\/p>\n
Unique<\/p>\n
The unique quality of the market is apparent from the variety
\nof goods on sale, even though some of them are imitation. The
\ngoods are laid out simply, with no special packing or draws. It
\nallows visitors to evaluate the goods directly.<\/p>\n
\"If you are interested, I have an old gramophone which is
\nstill OK. I've had offers of two million rupiah, but if you want
\nit I'll give it to you for two and a half million,\" Wahyu, 60,
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
It is also said that items from the local palaces, both
\nKasunanan and Mangkunegaran, can be bought at the site. However,
\nit is not easy to obtain the goods; visitors must know the seller
\npersonally<\/p>\n
The transaction is like buying something on the black market.
\nThe goods are not available at the market; instead, the
\ninterested buyer is requested to visit the home of the seller.
\nThey say the reason is they fear they will be accused of selling
\nstolen goods.<\/p>\n
Wahyu admitted to having several items from the palaces, such
\nas porcelain plates and antique lamps. He, too, does not sell the
\nitems from his kiosk, but from home. The father of two told the
\nPost in a whisper that he also possessed a spearhead made from a
\nmeteorite.<\/p>\n
But most of the vendors do not want to explain where they
\nobtained the items from; they will only say they got them from
\n\"someone\" but they know for sure the goods are from the palace.<\/p>\n
\"I won't feel good if I tell you. There is someone who often
\noffers me such goods. Well, whoever wants to sell me such goods,
\nI'll buy because they have a high sales value and are sold
\nquickly,\" Wahyu said.<\/p>\n
Stories of the loss of items from the palaces are often told
\namong the people of Surakarta. The loss of a gamelan from
\nKasunanan Palace several months ago is only one of the mysterious
\ncases.<\/p>\n
The police's success in locating the stolen musical
\ninstruments has only added credence to the suspicion that in fact
\na lot more of the palace's invaluable wealth has been stolen.
\nIt's an open secret that Triwindu is only one of many markets
\nwhere legally protected artifacts are traded in.<\/p>\n
Usman, a 39-year-old resident, claimed he had often been
\noffered to buy invaluable goods from the palace. He said he
\nalready has several ceramic plates bearing the image of one of
\nthe sultans and an antique kris. He bought all of them at
\nTriwindu market.<\/p>\n
\"If you can talk nicely to the traders and you are lucky, you
\nmay get rare goods from the palace. Of course they are
\nexpensive,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KRMH Satrio Hadinagoro, a palace official who is also
\nPakubuwono XII's son in law, did not deny reports about theft of
\npalace goods.<\/p>\n
Hadinagoro, who is the husband of Gusti Moeng, dismissed the
\ntheory that the crime involved insiders.<\/p>\n
\"If a palace personality, such as myself, sells his
\nproperty ... it's their right. Nobody can stop them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also acknowledged that the palace has long been so heavily
\nindebted that it was forced to sell or pawn many of its valuable
\ngoods.<\/p>\n
\"So I don't believe some insiders sell them to the public but
\nif it happens, it's deplorable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For some people like Hadinagoro, the illegal sales of palace
\ngoods are mere rumors but many believe they are in fact true.
\nIt's precisely this nature of controversy that makes Triwindu
\nmarket appealing, especially to antique hunters from abroad.<\/p>",
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