Harassed Hermes statue to rest at Fatahillah museum

JAKARTA (JP): A city parks agency official said on Wednesday that the antique statue of the Greek god Hermes, which stood on a bridge near the presidential palace for decades, is temporarily being placed at the Fatahillah Museum in North Jakarta.

The agency is waiting for the governor's decision on the two options the agency has offered: putting back the statue on the Harmoni bridge in Central Jakarta or putting a replica in its place.

"We entrusted the statue to the museum for safe keeping while waiting for the governor's decision," Agung Sukaton told The Jakarta Post in Central Jakarta Mayoralty office.

The official said that the cost to put back the original statue -- taken off by the Public Works agency two weeks ago after it nearly collapsed, is lower than to make a replica.

"Besides, if the governor decides to make the replica then we have to make two of them because, according to historical records, originally there were two Hermes statues on the bridge," he added.

The need to make the replica is in anticipation of a possible theft, similar to what happened to the other one, which went missing around 10 years ago.

The statue, which depicts Hermes with one of his hands in the air and the other on his waist, attracted the public's attention when it was reported missing on Aug. 20.

However, three days after the report, the public works agency claimed to have saved the statue from falling into the river by taking it to the agency's office. The public works agency then returned the statue to city parks agency.

The city parks agency planned to put up a sign board, announcing the whereabouts of the statue. "We will put up the sign on Friday,"Agung said. (04)