Searching for genuine antiques at Tri Windu market

Searching for genuine antiques at Tri Windu market

Text and photos by Ahmad Solikhan

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): The man looked closely at the
surface of the iron, covered with patches of rust. It did not
resemble the modern type of iron -- this one was shaped like a
ship, and weighed about 10 kilograms. It was obviously not new.
Even the wooden grip was broken.

The man opened the rooster-shaped iron clasp, and started to
check the interior.

"How much is this, Pak?" he asked.

"Just seventy thousand" the antique seller replied.

"That's quite a lot. How about Rp 50,000?"

They did not bargain for long, finally agreeing on a price of
Rp 60,000.

"If I'm not fast, someone else might grab it," said Hermanu,
the man, a fond collector of old irons.

Many men like Hermanu roam about Pasar Tri Windu, an antique
market at south gate of Mangkunegaran Palace, in Solo, in Central
Java.

The market was established by the late Sultan Mangkunegoro VII
in 1936. Located on a one-hectare plot on palace grounds, it has
60 semi permanent kiosks. Antiques are the speciality at Pasar
Tri Windu, but other goods also change hands there.

It is no surprise that many antique collectors and foreign
tourists visit the market, especially between July and September.

Antique pieces are found in nearly all of the kiosks. Some
antiques are stored in glass cases, others are left on the floor.
The only leftover spaces tend to be alleys.

Visitors can find antique pieces of porcelain or terracota,
such as old kitchenware and traditional Chinese statues. Items
such as metal Buddhas, statues of Hindu deities, rings,
necklaces, pins, and hairpins are also available. Prices range
from Rp. 100,000 to Rp 2 million.

"The better the condition and the older the items, the more
expensive they are," said Sunarto, an antique trader at the
market.

Crystal animal statues, hanglamps and toilet mirror frames
from Europe and China also adorn the market. Crystal items are
often pursued by rich collectors or foreign tourists.

Transactions usually take place a week after the buyer's
inspection. Buyers usually need time to check the age and
originality of a piece. It is no secret that fake antiques are
often exchanged. Careless collectors may spend a lot of money on
such fakes.

"The items I have on display here look old, but they are
really new," explained Harto Wijono, a trader with 50 years of
marketing experience.

According to Wijono, 70, not every trader in the market is
honest. Some will use devious means to cheat customers, who
should exercise care. Moreover, genuine historical antiques are
becoming increasingly rare. Some goods may even have been
originally stolen.

"Watch out when buying. You don't want to get involved with
the police," said Wijono.

Fake antiques usually come in the form of Buddhas, animal
figures, wall decorations, kitchen goods, and beetlenut sets.
They are usually made of copper, brass, tin and mixed alloys.
These items, priced at about Rp 20,000 per piece only appear to
be centuries old. Traders order them from Yogyakarta and
Mojokerto in East Java.

Old batik cloths are also sold. Sunarto sells batik from
cities such as Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon. He
said such batiks first belonged to royal families. Prices range
from Rp 40,000 to Rp 100,000 per piece, depending on their
condition.

Antique wooden or leather puppets may fetch prices of Rp
250,000 per item. Traders will usually get experts to verify the
age of an antique.

Sunarto said his collections were bought from villagers who
found them by accident. The area of Solo is well known for
antique sites, and many villagers do not realize the value of
their finds. Traders who pay only few thousand, but sell the item
for a few million, make good profits.

Sunarto, a father of four, once bought a set of 12 Cirebonese
shadow puppets for Rp 1 million, and sold them to a collector
three days later for Rp 10 million.

"I was really lucky," said Sunarto, who claimed his monthly
earnings are usually between Rp 3 million and Rp 6 million.
Alhough frequently, new antiques are seized by Archeological
Agencies.

History

In colonial times, the Tri Windu Market was known as Jenar
Windu Market. Goods originally sold there included vegetables,
ceramics such as plates, glasses, oillamps, hanglamps, cookie
jars, mirrors, and some furniture. As much of the public was
poor, the barter system was often used.

"People didn't need rupiah, but they had some daily needs"
explained Wijono, one of the market's first traders.

After independence, vegetable sellers started to disappear,
moving to better locations. They were replaced by ceramics
traders.

The market's name was changed to Tri Windu Market by Sultan
Mangkunegoro VII to commemorate the 24th year of his reign. Tri
means three and windu means eight years. After the change of name
the market began to attract greater crowds as goods other than
ceramics became available.

In 1995 the government made plans to renovate the Tri Windu
market, but traders had objections. They complained the move
would destroy the market's traditional image and gained the
support of Mangkunegaran palace.

The market also boasts antiques from the Mangkunegaran and
Kasunanan palaces. Sunarto said he once bought items including
copper spoons, plates, knifes, crystal mirrors, copper bowls, a
table, and chairs, from employees of both palaces. The items
often carried seals stamped with the king's initials. After the
Mangkunegaran and Kasunanan palaces banned trading of palace
artifacts, these items became rarer.

Wijono believes that hundreds of thousands of antiques may
have found their way abroad.

"Many traders are only after money," he said. "As for myself,
even though I am a trader, I have never sold an antique to a
foreigner," Wijono said.

It is all right if the antiques stay in Indonesian homes, but
ending up overseas only means further loss of our national
heritage.