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Controversial sunken treasure auction attracts no bidders

The auction of centuries-old artifacts recently discovered on the bottom of Indonesia’s ocean floor opened Wednesday with the attendance of government officials, including two ministers and a pack of journalists  — and not a single bidder

Dina Indrasafitri (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, May 6, 2010

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Controversial sunken treasure auction attracts no bidders

T

he auction of centuries-old artifacts recently discovered on the bottom of Indonesia’s ocean floor opened Wednesday with the attendance of government officials, including two ministers and a pack of journalists  — and not a single bidder.

The seats saved for bidders were left empty, forcing the organizer of the auction to call it a day only minutes after the gavel was banged.

“There was an auction, but since there were no bidders, it was instantly closed,” said Sudirman Saad, the secretary-general for the recovery and usage of precious goods in sunken ships.

According to him, the offer to join the auction had been open until 12 a.m., or two hours before the auction, but no registrations had been made. Thus, he said, the auction was recorded as “being conducted, but without any bidders”.

More than 271,000 historical objects discovered in Cirebon waters in West Java were up for auction.

The artifacts were excavated from the ruins of a ship in 2005. The value of the retrieved objects was estimated at US$80 million.

The artifacts included a golden sword with Arabic inscriptions, a large vase from the 10th century Liao dynasty, rock crystals and a 32-centimeter bronze mirror.

Interested bidders were obliged to deposit 20 percent ($16 million) of the value of the auctioned goods.

Maritime and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad, who is also the acting chairman of the National Committee for the Recovery and Usage of Precious Goods in Sunken Ships, said it might take weeks or months before the committee could decide what they would do next.

“We will have a meeting with committee members and then decide what to do. Of course we will also consult with the President,” he said after the auction closed.

The auction has drawn criticism from academics and history buffs as well as the royal family of the Cirebon Sultanate.

While members of the committee were explaining the situation, a minor fracas occurred outside the auction building when a young man claiming to be a history enthusiast insisted the government refrain from selling the artifacts, arguing they should be kept for Indonesians to study.

“Are you saying that we are now living in poverty?” the angry young man told the officials.

Adi Agung Tirtamarta, the director of PT Paradigma Putra Sejahtera, which excavated the artifacts in cooperation with Heyman’s company, said the artifacts were to be sold in a single lot in order to preserve their historical value.

Asked why there were no interested bidders, Adi said they were possibly reluctant to participate in the auction due to the obligation to store a deposit. “Some were anxious about whether they could get their money back,” he said.

George Gunawan, the chairman of the Indonesian Auction Halls, praised the government’s  efforts, but said that in the future the committee should improve its methods.

“I am sure that from the way the auction was held, no Indonesians would have the ability to purchase [the artifacts],” he said. For more information, log onto www. indonesia-sunken-treasure.com.

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