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A dynasty in antiques
Baliâs history:: Amid the antiques of Europe and Asia are the treasures of old Bali
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Baliâs history:: Amid the antiques of Europe and Asia are the treasures of old Bali. (Photos by J.B.Djwan)" border="0" height="771" width="511">Baliâs history:: Amid the antiques of Europe and Asia are the treasures of old Bali. 
Changing eras:: Porcelain from China, Japan and Holland tell of the changing eras of Indonesia.
Baliâs history:: <)
Bali's history:: Amid the antiques of Europe and Asia are the treasures of old Bali.
Indonesia's changing eras can be read on the shelves of Putu Oka's antique shop, Toko Indra, in Klungkung that abuts several more family antique shops in the quaint hillside town.
Next door at Toko Kresna and farther down at Toko Gana and Toko Dewi the tale is embellished with the remains of the past safe in glass cabinets passed down the generations in this dynasty of antique dealers.
These traders trace their roots back to the 1930s when their mother, the dynamic Nyoman Tinggan, hunted out antiques across Bali, the first trader to ever do so. At the same time her husband Wayan Pagah was making the daily trek from Klungkung to Padang Bai laden with local souvenirs to be sold to seafaring tourists.
Ancient and rare Chinese Celadon bowls dating from the 17th century tell of the immense trade between China and Indonesia, hundreds of years ago. Squatting nearby are a pair of Japanese sake cups reminding buyers of that nation's cruel invasion during World War II.
In glass cabinets rest delicate floral patterned plates so loved by the former colonists of the country, the Dutch, who clung to their European aesthetic despite being surrounded by the extraordinary and intricate textiles and sculptures of Indonesia, also to be found at Toko Indra.
'In the past, Mom's [Nyoman Tinggan] shop was in front of the palace. We moved here to the main street during the Japanese era in 1942. This is the original store and these tiles have never been changed,' says Putu Oka of the yellow with rust red motif floor tiles.
Now in his 60s, Putu Oka says business is slow and he fears his children will not continue the business, which is a slice of history, after him.
'I took the business on because my brothers and sisters didn't want it and I felt it was important to continue the family tradition. I have been in this antique shop since I was a little kid, but I don't think the store will last into a third generation. No one wants to take it on,' says Putu Oka of the 84-year-old family business that was once supported by the nation's greats.
Indonesia's first president Sukarno bought their doors for the Presidential Palace in Bali and visiting Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito was introduced to their wares while cruising Padang Bai's waters, according to Putu Oka's younger brother Ketut Bagiada from Toko Dewi, who remembers traveling to Singaraja with his intrepid mother Nyoman in search of antiques.
'I learned all I know of antiques from my mom. Often I traveled with her to Singaraja to buy. At that time there were a lot of antiques there, fabrics, wooden sculptures, doors, beautiful doors.
'From a ship that sank off Nusa Penida 300 years ago, Mom would buy Chinese porcelain that was washed up over the years, but still my favorite antiques are the wooden lions of Singaraja,' says Bagiada of the lions known as singga across Asia.
As his older brother grows anxious for the future of his antique business, Bagiada is upbeat and still excited by the treasure hunt for antiques.
'I was born in 1946 and I still love antiques, forever I will follow in mom's footsteps,' says Bagiada, adding that his mother was the first person to deal in antiques in Bali and was seconded to the Denpasar Museum as a collector.
'Mom also collected antiques for the museum in Denpasar during the Dutch era. Maybe they came here and she got to places in the Dutch trucks,' says Bagiada of how his mother may have traveled across Bali's early road system.
'I remember Mom riding her push-bike to Denpasar to sell goods, but I don't remember how she got to Singaraja in the early days,' says Bagiada of the mountainous route to Bali's early capital.
With genuine antiques becoming more difficult to find, third generation dealer Made Purnama and her husband Bakrin of Toko Gana decided to specialize in kris, the Indonesian short sword that identifies its owner's social standing.
'I inherited the business from my mother. She had taken it on after my grandmother, Nyoman, died. I still like being involved in antiques because for me they represent high art and a continuing of the family tradition started by my grandmother. But real antiques are hard to find so we specialize in kris,' says Purnama.
Husband Bakrin is the backbone of the kris business. Having worked as curator of kris for Puri Gede in Karangasem following rigorous training under the empu (royal kris maker at Surakarta) palace, Bakrin is well versed in the way of the kris.
'From a small child I knew kris. At the Solo [Surakarta] Palace I discovered the beauty and inner satisfaction of working with kris. I discovered their mystery,' says Bakrin, who has a pair of 18th century kris in his collection.
'Old kris are essentially history. The old techniques of folding the blade hundreds of times are superb. The techniques today are very different. In the old days empu worked for their king, so the kris were filled with love and respect for the king. I feel kris are now made for money,' says Bakrin, who adheres to the ethics of the past.
'High-quality kris should not be sold out of Indonesia. It is sad if these elements of our history go overseas, so I won't sell good kris out of the country,' says Bakrin, who with his wife Made is continuing family traditions.
It is a different picture next door at Toko Kresna where Putra Bagarta, while still dealing in antiques as a sideline, has re-focused the business on aerobic wear and powerlifting supplements and nutrition.
'It is so difficult to find real antiques ' there are a lot of fakes out there, so we now see the antiques as a hobby and a way to maintain our traditions, but our livelihood is based on aerobic wear and food supplements,' says Putra, who like all his family still lives in the nest of antique shops in Klungkung founded by their grandmother, the amazing Nyoman Tinggan.
' Photos by J.B.Djwan
