Gallery

Comments

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  Peter Hoesli January 4, 2017 at 2:58pm

  Dear Alaa;
  A very nice collection indeed - Congratulations!
  I have a few items from indonesia in my collection and just purchased some lovely antique belts mainly from Sumatra, which I have visited back in 1983. I always wanted a particular Sumatra belt as it shows how the designs have travelled from Sumatra to Yemen and other countries. The items are on their way to my home in Switzerland. I will unpack them during my next trip home in coming March and post the photos on this site.
  Thanks for posting your beauties!
  With kind regards.
  Peter
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  Alaa eddine SAGID January 5, 2017 at 6:58am

  I have a weak spot for anything Indonesian and for the country itself which i greatly enjoy visiting.

  Indonesian jewelry is a perfect example of how patterns, techniques and influences have traveled the world way before super jumbos and high speed internet!
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  Edith D January 5, 2017 at 10:08am

  Thanks for posting these! I am amazed at how few pieces of any quality are to be found in the shops in west and Central Java. Those good quality silver items that I found were assigned unbelievable prices! ( a very small hairpin 18 million IDR...about $1300) Which Islands did you have the best luck in finding nice jewelry ?
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  Alaa eddine SAGID January 5, 2017 at 11:37am

  Hey Edith, how Nice to see you back in a different horizon... From Tunisia to Indonesia...Love them both BUT indeed it is every bit quite difficult to shop for jewels in the country (at least compared to North Africa and middle east!)

  My experience in java is that there is on single shop has a decent stock so far in jakarta.... nothing i could find in both Yogjakarta and Solo.

  That shop is in Jalan surabaya famed flea market of the capital..... Very expensive and mostly stuff from South and West Sumatra and as soon as there is the slightest Borneo diamond or gilding, prices skyrocket.

  Elsewhere in the country there is no established market for jewels and you would need to comb endless numbers of shops to find a vintage comb or a bangle, most of the time in very low grade silver or even a recent reproduction.

  One exception is Bali island where the stock and the offer is outstanding both in quantity and quality, but then you enter the world of high end galleries where bargains are far and between!

  Amazingly i had to shop around in Malaysia where there is fairly a good decent offer but with a price to match. So you will be luckier in singapore and malaysia but do not expect bargains.

  Indonesian antique market is very geared towards, wood carving, tribal carvings, chinese ceramics and textile.... jewelry is a minor art and what you find are mostly repros of low quality, still used in celebrations and the like by local.

  Contact me if you are planning to visit more eastern parts of the country beside Java island!

  Sampai jumpa!
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  Edith D January 5, 2017 at 3:28pm

  Thanks so much for the info. Yes, I had also visited Jalan Surabaya and the antiques district in Yogyakarta, but with not much luck. we are planning to visit other islands eventually, so I guess I will need to keep my eyes open! I have purchased a couple of books on Indonesian jewelry....it seems much of the best stuff is in foreign museums. There is some fabulous ancient gold jewelry in the National Museum here, which is amazing! So far most of the affordable items are made of brass, wood and bone. I still sometimes like these because they are often pretty and have ethnographic value, but it just isn't the same as the suk in Tunisia or Yemen....