Bali becomes a major transit for illegal trade
By Rita A. Widiadana
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): If you are an antiques lover, you'll find Bali the right place to go. Hundreds of antiques and curio galleries line the island's main art centers like Ubud, Kuta, Sanur and Denpasar.
They offer an assorted range of antique goods from old furniture, rare textiles, jewelry, artifacts and wooden objects, to tribal and folk art from areas all across Indonesia.
Jenny Rahayu, owner of Jen's Antique shop in Kerobokan, Kuta, proudly spoke about her selection of items.
"I sell ceramics, textiles, ceramic jars, tribal arts, handicrafts and old wooden furniture," she explained.
Rahayu said that the antiques business in Bali is going well so far. However, she also said that if the rupiah strengthens against the U.S. dollar, that most antique shop owners would be put out of business.
"Our market target is actually quite limited because we mainly focus on art collectors who really understand the value and quality of artistic objects," she maintained.
A prestigious antique trader in Kuta chose not to comment saying that he is still involved in a deal. He is one of the big players in the Bali antique business who is an expert in tribal arts and centuries-old artifacts.
In fact some major antique shops in Denpasar, Sanur and Nusa Dua would only agree to be interviewed by the The Jakarta Post if they could read the article before it was printed.
It is indeed difficult to track the antiques business in Bali. Although the number of antique dealers could total hundreds and their shops are available on every corner of major tourist areas, only a few dealers were willing to provide information, let alone reveal precise data on their products and how they procure them. Most prefered to remain silent or anonymous.
One reputable antique expert and arts observer, who refused to be named, tried to define the current situation of the antique business on the island.
The business he said, started to flourish in the early l990s. "At that time, Bali experienced a tourist boom. Tourists bought everything from locally-made handicrafts, textiles and garment products, paintings and other art objects," he said.
A number of antique and curio shops had already existed and usually they target genuine art collectors and the upscale market he explained.
The direction of the island's antique business totally changed in l997 when Indonesia was hit hard by the economic crisis. "Some people benefited from this bleak situation, while their brothers and sisters had to tighten their belts. They gained extra money from the high bank interest rates and foreign curreny trading," he explained.
Suddenly, these people could afford to buy anything. While, they already possessed basic items such as houses and cars, they looked for arts mainly as a form of social prestige rather than aesthetic reasons.
Antique objects changed as a commodity which was bought, sold and traded in the general market place like other items, he said. Some of them viewed art as a means to elevate their social status.
"If they hang paintings by masters or display certain antique goods of distinguished character and quality, they feel they are culturally-oriented people," he explained. They hunted for quality arts and antique shops which were of course the best places to get the best items.
Antique shops were mushrooming in Bali competing heavily in the already established Ciputat and Kemang areas in South Jakarta. "l997 was a boom period for the antiques business in Bali," he said.
A large number of people ran antique furniture businesses be it original or reproductions. Antique galleries selling "forbidden" items were also flourishing. Some important pieces were sold to foreigners brought by individual collectors and even art institutions.
"Now everybody in the antique business is waiting for the second boom, which is unlikely to occur," he said. Only antique traders who have strong finance, an arts background and wide network will survive in this tricky business.
And Bali, he said, will remain important because of its strategic position in the Indonesian archipelago with huge a potential for antique buyers.
Made Kusumajaya, head of Bali's Archaeological Agency, agreed that Bali has now become an important transit place for both legal and illegal antique trading.
"As we know, Bali is an international holiday and business destination where thousands of local and foreign visitors spend their leisure time and money," exclaimed Kusumajaya.
Almost every art item and handicraft sold in Bali is selling very...very well attracting higher prices than in other places across Indonesia. "This is the prime reason why art and antique traders use Bali as their main base and transit hub," he added.
He elaborated that antique goods and other items from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusantara, Irian Jaya and other places in Indonesia are shipped to Bali first. Secondly, these traders distribute items to domestic and foreign destinations. The items, Kusumajaya said, vary from old and rare textiles, bronze, gold, silver, stone statues and artifacts and ceramics to terracotta and many other items.
"It is hard to distinguish which is antique and mass produced. Only experts and related archaeological officials from each respective area can determine the condition of the items," he stated.
Problems arise because there is still a lack of coordination among archaeological agencies in all of Indonesia's provinces. "It requires a lot of effort and funding which we don't have, to maintain close contact and to provide information with our colleagues especially those in remote places outside Java and Bali," admitted Kusumajaya.
He said that Antique dealers and traders benefited from these loopholes. "We have to cooperate with immigration officials and other related agencies dealing with air, sea and land transportation to inform us if they find any irregularity in the traffic of antique goods," he said.
It could be easier if the goods are transported by air. But usually, antique goods taken from Central and East Java are difficult to control. Traders through the Gilimanuk harbor ship them to Bali usually at midnight when officials were not present.
"Items like stone, bronze and terracotta artifacts from the Trowulan archaeological site in Mojokerto, East Java, a legacy of the Majapahit Hindu Kingdom between the 13th and 15th century, are looted and traded in Bali," he said.
Efforts to protect rare and cultural heritages like the Trowulan's artifacts have already been carried out by the agency. Some were successful while others failed.
One successful operation resulted in the confiscation of dozens of Trowulan Terracotta, which involved a reputable antique trader in Kuta two months ago.
"During the search operation of illegal antiques in several shops in Kuta, we found numerous terracotta goods which were historically and culturally important for archaeological studies," he said. The case is currently being handled by the Bali police precinct.
Kusumajaya explained that antique dealers usually have a well- organized, solid and extensive network both in Indonesia and other countries. "The above case also implictaed big dealers from Jakarta," he explained.
He warned antique dealers to be very careful in trading items categorized as cultural legacies. According to the law on cultural heritage issued by the directorate general for culture in l992, any item which has cultural and historical significance and has reached a 50 year life span is considered a cultural legacy. And hence, such an item is protected by the law and is prohibited from being commercially traded.
"Most of them are already aware of this law. Yet, they just shut their eyes and pretend that it never exsisted," he said.
He added that the agency will regularly carry out searches at galleries, antiques and furniture shops in the main art centers like Denpasar, Ubud, Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua.
"We will hold a meeting on Monday (Sept. 17) with antique traders in Kuta who want to obtain first-hand information on antique trade and law," he said.