This little collection makes excellent filler items for those small spaces in a container Cane furniture has been around for centuries. In it’s heydays at the end of the nineteen century, there were huge factories in America and Europe producing for Victorian era houses. The raw material for cane furniture is the rattan vine, a very long liana creeper that … Read More

This magnificent old set of a gigantic wooden door ! It’s great fun exploring the back blocks of Java. You always seen to end up with something interesting. Last week we were up north visiting our stool production, and in another nearby place they had this magnificent old set of a gigantic wooden door surrounded by glass panels, and 2 … Read More

There’s red and green, canary yellow and blue, “Cheap & Cheerful” We call them! Another great find a couple of weeks ago. One of our hunter gatherers came to us with a couple of score of old wooden school chairs. They were battered around after half a century of rough little school kids, but they were made of teak. So … Read More

These bangkirai stools are limited, first in first served, so don’t miss out! Every now and then, one of our people out sourcing in the villages and towns comes up with something interesting. So it happened again this week, when one of our collectors discovered 50 old stools made of bangkirai. Bangkirai (shorea laeviis) is a heavy timber. It was often used … Read More

These sets of old oil scoops have many uses a long history and some quite interesting features! In the old days, things were much simpler. You could go to the butcher, and order exactly what and how much you wanted. And there was very little packaging to throw away. Likewise, when you ordered oil or kerosene or sometimes petrol the … Read More

These teak benches are excellent value! Most evenings in Java, when a hard day’s work is finished and the sun is setting in the west, the village folk sit on their risban benches on their verandahs, greeting and gossiping with the neighbours as they pass by. It’s a most pleasant time of the day. Risban benches grace almost all kampung … Read More

These Wondrous Lounging Sets are made of Recycled Tyres! Everyone is keen on recycling. We all try and reduce waste to a minimum, which is difficult now in this world where most things are overpackaged, have a very short lifespan, and are difficult to repair. One of the hardest to dispose of is old tyres; they don’t disintegrate easily and … Read More

These magnificent old waterpots are not only a piece of history, but have many  wonderful uses! To the south of Solo lies a very arid region of Java called Gunung Kidul (southern mountains in Javanese). This is kaust country, where the underlieing limestone allows for little water retention. The rain in the monsoon season quickly soaks through the soil and … Read More

The wood panelling comes in a variety of pattern, and as well as looking stunning on the wall! What do you do with leftover scrap wood? Here in Indonesia, almost everything has a value. Old metal, plastic, cement sacks – these are gathered up and sold to the rosok-rosok, or scrap dealers, who in turn sell them on to foundries, plastic … Read More

These unique tins are ideal for storage food, knitting wool, odds  and ends – you name it! Krupuk, or rice crackers, are an important part of Indonesian cruisine, and every eating house from the tiniest warung to the flashiest restaurant inevitably has a tin of them on the table. Diners help themsolves, and in a sort of honour system, tell … Read More