by New Straits Times

While there are no true antique shops in Langkawi, souvenir shops here also stock antiques. But doing so seems to trivialize the antiques which is perhaps why collectors often miss out o­n finding treasures here.

At Langkawi Fair shopping mall, a shop displays an old elaborate teak bed from Indonesia alongside ordinary wood-carvings.

Other shops have old Chinese furniture displayed next to new o­nes and replicas that pale in comparison to the classic touch of the real thing.

But in 2004, an antique shop opened here, offering old things from China, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

At The Silk Route Antique Gallery, you can find items like a large water colour portrait of a Ming Dynasty official, a delicately embroidered child’s robe from the Ching Dynasty and old furniture and carvings from China and Indonesia.

Priced at RM2,000, the portrait, according to proprietor Shiryn, was sourced from Soochow, China. She says it’s getting harder to get real antiques these days.

“The price depends o­n how well-known the personalities in the painting are,” she says.

Such portraits were drawn o­n rice paper. Officials used to hang these paintings in their living rooms.

The gallery recently sold a 19th Century table to a local collector. As it happens to be o­ne of her favourite pieces, Shiryn is glad it has remained in Langkawi.

There’s another rare find at the shop – an old ceremonial robe for a child in bright green, red and gold colours.

“It takes the eyes of two grandmothers to make this!” says Shiryn. The dragons o­n the robe, embroidered with gold and silver threads, look away from each other, symbolising eternity through yin and yang. Such robes are worn o­n important occasions such as birthdays and official engagements.

From Indonesia, you can find daggers, kerises, figurines of gods and goddesses as well as tribal artefacts. There is a 19th Century keris from Solo as well as a silver dagger from Sulawesi, both priced at RM4,000. The silver dagger with its ivory sheath looks regal in the cabinet in which it is displayed.

Kerises are valued according to their blades as well as how elaborate the hilts are. The best are made of seven metals and have nine curves. Some are encrusted with fine jewels.

A lovely find is an ornate silver betel nut container set that o­nce belonged to a rich family. The peasant class used brass sets. There is also a little leafy silver tray for placing betel nut leaves and this goes with the silver container.

Shiryn says a little round silver container in the shape of a round pumpkin would cost about RM600, considering the weight of the metal.

Standing o­n a metallic stand at o­ne corner of the gallery is a Burmese Marionette head (called Yoke Thay) priced at RM600. The head looks like that of a little girl’s, with no distinct features because of its age.

You can also find old Burmese puppets used for stage presentations as a form of entertainment for the royalty in the country. These puppets are now quite rare so they are really worth collecting.

Other interesting finds at the shop are old Buddha statues, large architectural or house parts from China and Indonesia including a teak door from a palace in central Java and a buffalo horn ceremonial spoon from Timor.

Source: The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia