Surakarta's Triwindu market offers antiques and much more

Surakarta's Triwindu market offers antiques and much more

By Sulistyo Budi and Singgir Kartana

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): As a tourist destination,
Surakarta has yet to gain the fame of nearby Yogyakarta or Bali.
It is no reflection of its charms; in addition to its palaces,
batik and regular traditional art events, the city of Bengawan
Solo river boasts the attraction of Pasar Triwindu antiques
market.

The traditional market is located in the heart of the city,
also known as Solo, not far from Mangkunegaran Palace, making it
easy to reach for tourists. Among the wares on offer are
lanterns, porcelain plates, sculptures, batik and heirlooms. Some
of the vendors claim their goods are hundreds of years old.

In addition, there are also secondhand goods, such as
electronics, spare parts and household wares. The old and new
goods are not jumbled together, however, but sold separately as
the location of less than a hectare is divided into two.

It is a tourist draw, bringing in both local and foreign
visitors. Basuki, one of the vendors, said foreign tourists were
particularly enthusiastic about visiting the market. They usually
come in December or July.

"The biggest sellers among foreigners are batik cloth and old
items such as porcelain bowls. I was once asked by an American
tourist to find 100 old batik cloths, but I couldn't do it
because the deadline was very short. Finding such items is
difficult," Basuki said.

The heyday of the market, he added, occurred during the
economic crisis from 1997 to 1999. He said it was a time of rich
pickings for traders, but tourist numbers have dropped recently,
especially after the anti-American sweep of hotels in October
2000.

Unique

The unique quality of the market is apparent from the variety
of goods on sale, even though some of them are imitation. The
goods are laid out simply, with no special packing or draws. It
allows visitors to evaluate the goods directly.

"If you are interested, I have an old gramophone which is
still OK. I've had offers of two million rupiah, but if you want
it I'll give it to you for two and a half million," Wahyu, 60,
told The Jakarta Post.

It is also said that items from the local palaces, both
Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran, can be bought at the site. However,
it is not easy to obtain the goods; visitors must know the seller
personally

The transaction is like buying something on the black market.
The goods are not available at the market; instead, the
interested buyer is requested to visit the home of the seller.
They say the reason is they fear they will be accused of selling
stolen goods.

Wahyu admitted to having several items from the palaces, such
as porcelain plates and antique lamps. He, too, does not sell the
items from his kiosk, but from home. The father of two told the
Post in a whisper that he also possessed a spearhead made from a
meteorite.

But most of the vendors do not want to explain where they
obtained the items from; they will only say they got them from
"someone" but they know for sure the goods are from the palace.

"I won't feel good if I tell you. There is someone who often
offers me such goods. Well, whoever wants to sell me such goods,
I'll buy because they have a high sales value and are sold
quickly," Wahyu said.

Stories of the loss of items from the palaces are often told
among the people of Surakarta. The loss of a gamelan from
Kasunanan Palace several months ago is only one of the mysterious
cases.

The police's success in locating the stolen musical
instruments has only added credence to the suspicion that in fact
a lot more of the palace's invaluable wealth has been stolen.
It's an open secret that Triwindu is only one of many markets
where legally protected artifacts are traded in.

Usman, a 39-year-old resident, claimed he had often been
offered to buy invaluable goods from the palace. He said he
already has several ceramic plates bearing the image of one of
the sultans and an antique kris. He bought all of them at
Triwindu market.

"If you can talk nicely to the traders and you are lucky, you
may get rare goods from the palace. Of course they are
expensive," he said.

KRMH Satrio Hadinagoro, a palace official who is also
Pakubuwono XII's son in law, did not deny reports about theft of
palace goods.

Hadinagoro, who is the husband of Gusti Moeng, dismissed the
theory that the crime involved insiders.

"If a palace personality, such as myself, sells his
property ... it's their right. Nobody can stop them," he said.

He also acknowledged that the palace has long been so heavily
indebted that it was forced to sell or pawn many of its valuable
goods.

"So I don't believe some insiders sell them to the public but
if it happens, it's deplorable," he said.

For some people like Hadinagoro, the illegal sales of palace
goods are mere rumors but many believe they are in fact true.
It's precisely this nature of controversy that makes Triwindu
market appealing, especially to antique hunters from abroad.