Replica of golden Hermes to be erected at Harmoni

JAKARTA (JP): Hermes -- the Greek god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel, theft -- will soon once again grace the busy Harmoni bridge in Central Jakarta after an absence of nearly one year.

But the two-meter bronze Hermes to be erected on Thursday will be a replica of the original golden statue which briefly went missing and stirred controversy in August.

The statue, made at a cost of Rp 135 million ($15,000), would, however, be covered and would be displayed after a ceremony by city administration officials, Arsono, the artist who handled the restoration work on the statue, told The Jakarta Post.

The original statue, which had graced the bridge behind the Presidential Palace for more than 90 years, hit the headlines when it was reported missing on Aug. 22.

Three days later, the city public works agency disclosed that it had removed the statue because of its deteriorating condition and fears that it could fall into the Ciliwung River.

The administration then decided to make a Hermes replica.

The original statue was restored and has been on display at the Jakarta Historical Museum in West Jakarta since May.

Arsono said the replica is 30 percent heavier because he used a different molding technique, making it thicker and stronger.

"The base is tough enough to hold the replica, and we will add a core to prevent it from falling," he said.

The budget for the replica came from the city administration and its completion overran the original March 30 deadline.

"We hope the community will pay greater attention to historical statues and show a higher level of appreciation for works of art," Arsono said. (07)