Bali becomes a major transit for illegal trade
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.