Antik bila berusia 50 tahun

KAMCHENG yang diperbuat daripada perak.
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KURATOR Perbadanan Muzium Melaka, Mohd. Nasruddin Abdul Rahman berkata, definisi barang antik itu adalah sesuatu yang subjektif bergantung pada penilaian seseorang individu.

"Mengikut Akta Purba 1976, jika sesuatu barangan berusia melebihi 100 tahun dan mempunyai nilai sejarah, barulah ia disebut antik. Tetapi selepas Akta Warisan Kebangsaan 2005 digubal, barangan antik merujuk kepada barangan yang sudah melebihi usia 50 tahun.

"Bagaimanapun, antik dari segi artifak adalah sesuatu yang subjektif. Ia menjurus kepada barang lama yang sudah tidak digunakan lagi pada zaman sekarang serta telah dilupakan oleh masyarakat. Setiap barangan antik mempunyai nilai sejarah dan wang yang tinggi," ujarnya ketika diminta mengulas mengenai definisi sebenar barang antik.

Di Malaysia, tiada sebarang halangan dikenakan kepada sesiapa yang berminat mengumpul barangan antik. Ia adalah hak seseorang individu. Cuma, Nasruddin mengingatkan supaya pengumpul barang antik perlu memastikan bahawa setiap barangan yang mereka peroleh tidak termasuk dalam senarai artifak atau barang antik yang dilaporkan hilang kerana kecurian dan yang berkaitan dengannya.

"Lebih elok lagi sekiranya setiap pengumpul mempunyai bukti pembelian barangan tersebut daripada mana-mana sumber untuk mengelakkan daripada mengalami situasi 'terbeli barang antik yang dirompak'," jelasnya.

Ditanya sama ada pihak muzium ada menyediakan peruntukan untuk membeli barangan antik yang dijual secara lelongan dalam sesuatu program, Nasruddin berkata memang ada tetapi ia tidak boleh dilakukan sewenang-wenangnya kerana ia berkait rapat dengan perbendaharaan muzium.

"Kerajaan memang ada memperuntukkan sejumlah wang untuk pihak muzium membeli koleksi barang antik yang diakui kepentingannya untuk generasi masa depan. Namun, terdapat jawatankuasa yang akan meluluskan sesuatu pembelian setelah mengambil kira penilaian pakar dari pihak muzium.

"Biasanya kita akan membelinya daripada orang persendirian atau kedai menjual barang antik. Apa yang penting kita tidak mahu barang antik yang merupakan warisan negara terlepas ke luar negara kerana jika ini berlaku sukar untuk kita mendapatkannya semula.

"Contohnya beberapa koleksi barangan sewaktu zaman Kesultanan Melayu Melaka yang banyak terdapat di Muzium Britain berbanding muzium di negara kita sendiri. Untuk itu, penting bagi muzium dan badan yang berkaitan melihat sendiri dan memiliki sesuatu barang antik tanpa melepaskannya kepada orang luar," ungkap Nasruddin penuh makna.


Sumber berita & gambar : kosmo online 28/10/08 (www.kosmo.com.my)

Beauty in old kettles

By YIP YOKE TENG


One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, the case of Japanese cast iron kettles or tetsubin is one good example.

Yet it often takes time for a man to see the beauty in something and these kettles have waited for about half a century.

Nevertheless, the tableware created during or before World War II have proven that they can withstand the test of time. They are aesthetically stunning, and are still functional.

Despite having high artistic qualities due to the unique design and exquisite craftsmanship, these kettles were shoved in the corners, left to rust or even discarded as they used to be so common that almost every household had one.


Quaint: The Japanese cast iron kettles on display at Purple Cane Tea Square at Shaw Parade, Changkat Thambi Dollah, off Jalan Pudu.

About two years ago, a group of Taiwanese collectors came across these hidden treasures and started selling what they found to tea lovers and antique collectors.

In no time, the kettles became all the rage on the island and the wave swept China, too.

Now, the kettles can fetch between RM1,000 and RM5,000 while the ones made by famous artisans are sold from RM5,000 to RM10,000.

A rare collection of Kyoto tetsubin have been brought into Malaysia for the first time and are on display at Purple Cane Tea Square, Shaw Parade shopping centre, Pudu, until tomorrow.

The kettles are at least 40 years old, some up to 100 years.

“There are two main types of tetsubin, the Nambu and the Kyoto tetsubin. They, especially the latter, are gems from a bygone era,” said Purple Cane Holdings tea art director Camellia Siow.


Pleasant experience: Siow pouring tea while explaining the exquisiteness of Japanese cast iron kettles.

“Only a handful of old artisans know the skill to make Kyoto tetsubin now, and their works are sold at astronomical prices. On the other hand, the Nambu tetsubin that require a less elaborate making process are relatively easily available,” she added.

One cannot help but admire the Japanese’s innate meticulousness when looking at these kettles.

Even though they were only made as an object to heat water, the intricacy of the shape, design and embellishment was not at all compromised.

Exquisite carvings, embossed ornamentations and silver inlays are testaments to that.

Other interesting facts about these kettles are that the lids are often made with copper to help disperse heat, and that the spouts are always facing right with design details focusing on the right side of the kettle surface.

The knob on the lid is made with great detail, too. Sculpted into the shapes of flower and seed to complement the appearance, most of the knobs can be twiddled. Some kettles have knobs made of silver, or even gold.

A number of the kettles come with a “rattling chip” €” a floral shaped embossment on the bottom of the utensil €” which produces sound to indicate different degree of boiling.


Elaborate: The spout of a tetsubin should always face right, therefore design details concentrate on the right side of the kettle
Starfruit, eggplant and even cottage are some of the many unconventional designs of the Kyoto tetsubin, an example of the Japanese’s respect for nature and little things in lives.

The rich history, and the fact that these kettles are still in perfect condition make them even more precious.

“Tetsubin offers a different pleasant experience to savouring tea,” Siow noted.

“As compared to clay pots, water boiled with tetsubin gives the tea a stronger taste on the palate while retaining a soft and smooth texture. It also has a heavier aftertaste and hence fancied by male tea drinkers,” she added.

According to her, the effect is a result of the kettles’ minerals that are beneficial to one’s health. It was hence widely used by the Japanese women in that era to prevent miscarriage.

Tetsubin can be passed down the generations if they are kept with care, in spite of oxidation that erodes the metal. “If you taste rust in the water, use the tetsubin to boil water repeatedly until the water does not taste rusty. Do this whenever necessary and the tetsubin will be able to last for decades,” she said.

Purple Cane Tea Square is located at Lot L1-01, 1st Floor, Shaw Parade, Changkat Thambi Dollah, off Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. It can be reached at 03-2145 1200.

Source of news & Picture : The Star Online dated 18/10/2008 (www.thestar.com.my)

Lelongan bantu pelajar

Oleh SITI KHAIRULNISAH
MOHAMMED BAJURI


AL-Quran berusia 400 tahun dan dipercayai tertua di Asia Tenggara dijangka menjadi tumpuan pengunjung pada pameran dan lelongan amal World Heritage Legacy 2008 di Muzium Sultan Alam Shah, Shah Alam, minggu depan. - Gambar HARUN OSMAN

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SERDANG 17 Okt. - Barangan lama atau antik bukan sahaja unik tetapi ia mencerminkan kebijaksanaan orang dahulu dalam mencipta pelbagai barangan untuk keperluan mereka.

Apa yang menarik ialah barangan itu bukan sahaja dicipta untuk berfungsi bagi kegunaan mereka tetapi juga dihasilkan dengan cantik dan berkualiti.

Sebab itu, banyak barangan lama seperti pinggan mangkuk, senjata dan radio tahan lama dan ada yang boleh digunakan sehingga ke hari ini.

Biarpun kelihatan usang dimamah usia, barangan antik mempunyai daya tarikan tersendiri serta menjadi kegilaan ramai orang bukan sahaja di negara ini malah di seluruh dunia.

Dewasa ini, bilangan peminat barangan antik semakin bertambah kerana ramai yang menjadikan kegiatan mengumpul barangan berkenaan sebagai hobi.

Jika anda salah seorang daripada mereka, anda dijemput ke pameran dan lelongan amal barangan antik terbesar dibuat di Malaysia yang dinamakan 'World Heritage Legacy 2008'.

Acara itu diusahakan oleh 25 mahasiswa Sarjana Komunikasi Lanjutan Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) dengan kerjasama Heritage Auction House.

Pameran di Muzium Sultan Alam Shah, Shah Alam yang akan dirasmikan oleh Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Azalina Othman Said itu bakal menempatkan kira-kira 400 barangan antik dari seluruh dunia.

Penyelia pameran dan juga pensyarah Jabatan Komunikasi, Dr. Muhammad Pauzi Abdul Latif berkata, idea untuk mengadakan pameran itu timbul setelah kumpulan pelajar berkenaan diberikan tugasan untuk melengkapkan kursus mereka.

"Matlamat utama lelongan itu adalah untuk mengisi Tabung Kebajikan Pelajar UPM bagi membantu pelajar yang mempunyai masalah kewangan untuk membayar yuran pengajian," katanya ketika ditemui di sini.

Beliau berkata, dalam pameran itu nanti, orang ramai berpeluang melihat pelbagai barangan yang bukan sahaja mempunyai nilai sejarah tetapi juga nilai komersial yang tinggi.

Antara tarikan utama pengunjung ke pameran itu adalah senaskhah al-Quran beriluminasi berusia 400 tahun yang disahkan oleh pihak Perpustakaan British sebagai yang tertua di Asia Tenggara.

"Keaslian naskhah al-Quran tersebut disahkan setelah diselidik oleh pihak Perpustakaan British yang berpengalaman luas dalam bidang tersebut,'' katanya.

Jelasnya, walaupun naskhah itu tidak dijual, orang ramai tidak sepatutnya melepaskan peluang itu untuk melihat sendiri al-Quran itu dengan lebih dekat kerana ia tidak pernah dipamerkan di mana-mana muzium sebelum ini.

"Selain naskhah al-Quran itu, beberapa barang lain akan turut dipamerkan untuk tontonan orang ramai seperti Kiswah iaitu kain yang menutupi Kaabah dan keris utama Perabu Demak dari Indonesia yang berusia lebih daripada 1,000 tahun.

Bahkan, katanya, mesin jahit jenama Singer yang sudah berusia 129 tahun, kain cindai yang sudah berusia 500 tahun, perhiasan wanita seperti intan dan delima yang mencecah usia 100 tahun juga akan dipamerkan.

Muhammad Pauzi menambah, radio polyphone dari Jerman yang merupakan antara radio terawal dicipta turut dipamerkan pada pameran itu nanti.

"Kebanyakan barangan yang akan dipamerkan di muzium itu sudah mencecah ratusan tahun dan mempunyai sejarahnya yang tersendiri," katanya ketika ditemui di Fakulti Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi UPM.

Beliau memberitahu, program itu akan dibahagikan kepada dua sesi iaitu pameran pada 24 dan 25 Oktober manakala acara lelongan akan diadakan pada 26 Oktober.

Katanya, pameran dari pukul 9.30 pagi hingga 5 petang akan diadakan di Dewan Pameran Daeng Menambu manakala lelongan pada 26 Oktober akan dimulakan pada 2 petang di Dewan Raja Lumu Muzium Sultan Alam Shah.

Acara lelongan itu akan dikendalikan oleh jurulelong profesional dari Heritage Auction House, Radzuan Jamaluddin yang juga menyumbangkan sebahagian koleksi antiknya untuk dilelong pada acara tersebut.

Sementara itu, Dekan Fakulti Bahasa Moden Dan Komunikasi UPM, Profesor Madya Dr. Che Ibrahim Salleh yakin pencinta serta penggemar barangan antik tidak akan melepaskan peluang untuk melihat sendiri pameran barangan antik itu nanti.

"Saya juga berharap nilai sejarah yang ada pada barangan yang akan dipamerkan itu nanti dapat meniup sentimen nasionalisme di kalangan pengunjung yang hadir.

"Kadangkala nilai sejarah sesuatu sejarah itu juga berkait rapat dengan hati nurani bangsa dan seharusnya rakyat Malaysia berbangga dengan barangan yang dicipta oleh nenek moyang mereka pada zaman dahulu,'' jelasnya.

Program pameran dan lelongan amal barangan antik itu dibuka kepada orang ramai secara percuma. Maklumat lanjut boleh diperoleh dengan melayari laman web www.fbmk.upm.edu.my.

Sumber Berita & Gambar : Utusan Online 18/10/2008 (www.utusan.com.my)

Jokes : Wife vs Girlfriend

Wife is like TV, girlfriend is like Handphone (HP)

At home watch TV, go out bring HP.

No money, sell TV. Got money change HP.

Sometimes enjoy TV, but most of the time play with HP.

TV free for life but HP, if you don't pay the services will be terminated

TV is big, bulky and most of the time old, but handphone is cute, slim,

curvy and very portable at any time.

Operational cost for TV is often acceptable but for HP is high and often demanding,

Most Important, TV got remote.. HP don't have..





Last but not least........

TV do not have virus, but h/p yes..........have VIRUS............... once get it, terus KONG........hahahahaha......
so better choose TV .....



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Why Coin Collecting Is Very Interesting As A Hobby

19th February 2008
Author: Muna wa Wanjiru

Coin Collecting is fun for all ages. In a nutshell, a coin is a disc shaped piece of hard metal, issued by the governing bodies as a form of money transaction. Coins have been an integral part of money transacton for centuries now .In ancient times coins of all kinds were used as the primary form of currency. Coins such as Gold coins Silver coins even Platinum coins have been a very played a very prominent part in money transactions during medieval period.

As a collectors piece, coins are assessed of their value by their rarity their historical significance their condition and their demand with collectors.Coins Collecting is a very interesting hobby ,some collect coins as a hobby and some for business interests .Some collect coins for their genuine keenness to own a rare piece and some collect coins as a form of investment or for business purposes.

Collecting coins is a form of accumulating or say dealing of coins .Coins which are most recurrently collected are rare pieces which were in circulation for a very brief period before they disappeared,or coins which were minted with some kind of error ,collecting coins can also be collecting of very rare magnificent coins which date back to centuries and hold high value historically.

Collecting of coins has been a hobby for many centuries, then hobby of Kings and Aristocrats, collecting coins then was merely by choice and curiosity for rare art. Modern coin collecting began somewhere in the 14th century , the beginner being Poet Petrarch an Italian scholar is believed to own some of the finest coins ever found in history.

In Aug 1962 the first time ever international convention of coin collection was organized by the American Numismatic Association and the Canadian Numismatic Association. Collecting of coins usually begins by collecting and saving coins which you have received in circulation, but saved the coin as its unusual appearance caught your interest.

Coin collection can begin as a memory of an international trip , or by chance you receiving a very old coin in circulation. His occasional hobby of coin collecting can lead to becoming a very expensive hobby too, as sometimes rare beautiful pieces which catch you interest ca be priced at a very high value. On the contrary this hobby of coin collection can also in the bargain get you rich rewards in exchange for a historical coin which you managed to get your hands on.
People like Louis Eliasberg is a well known collector who is the only man who managed to collect a complete set of well know United States coins.

In Coin Collection the condition, the rarity of the coin is vital to place a value on it.
Coin collecting can become a very aggressive activity, as coin collectors keep thriving for collecting some of the most rare most unique and historical coin .Coin collecting can be of various kinds some are interested in collecting coins belonging to a particular nation ,some like collecting coins of various nations ,some are interested in coins only with historical significance where as there are collectors whose interest lie o error coins too.

While coin collecting as a hobby ca be very interesting, those who collect coins for business purposes have to have well enough knowledge in this field.
Coin Collecting - give it a try!


Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Coins for Years. For More Information on Coin Collecting, Visit His Site at COIN COLLECTING

This article is free for republishing

Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_476016_63.html