Junk treasure

By Chamintha Thilakarathna

Look around your home. Do you have rusting lamps that were once your parents' pride, old wall tiles and stained bath tubs you've been dying to get rid of, broken old furniture you see no use for, or door and window frames that don't exactly blend with your modern decor?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may have a treasure of sorts, though you little realise it.

'Junk yards' are springing up on busy by-roads in the city selling just such items and if you were to venture in, braving the dust and clutter, door frames and pillars you would find aplenty. But should you be in the mood to buy an old carved door, don't anticipate any bargains.

The choice in the 'junkyards' is vast. If a pillar is what you are looking for, you have a choice of those dating from British and Dutch periods to the recent past. If it's a decorative tile you desire, choose from small, medium or even large. From ceramic and granite. With fruity or flowery designs or a simple yet elegant border. At one site, they even have, what they claim is the original collection of granite tiles which once paved the streets of Pettah during the Dutch period.

Remember the decorative trellis which once ornamented the entrance of your grand parents' house?. Yes, they have those too. Of all shapes and sizes. And most of them, of original jak, teak or ebony. Likewise, there are window panels, original 18th century wooden staircase railings and balustrades, multi coloured bath tubs and sinks. Like a precious gem waiting to be washed of its mud to bring out its brilliance, many of the pieces are beautiful, awaiting restoration to rid them of their rust and dust.

The advantage of purchasing goods from these sites are many, claim the owners. They are well crafted, original and long lasting unlike duplicates.

"Lots of people are misled that these old pieces will not last and that they are not strong, but it's not so. They are quite durable because the wood was mature timber unlike the often unseasoned wood that is used now for furniture and frames," said the men who restore these items.

At the Kohuwela residence of Dharmasiri Gomis what we would define as junk has been turned into a paradise for antique lovers. Everywhere one looks, it's either a door post that awaits rehabilitation, or a Dutch period window with its original carvings that catches the eye. Fifty four year old Mr. Gomis, is one the pioneers of the trade, and today he has the reputation of having a large collection.

"I started as a young boy. That was about 40 years ago. It is the love of these discarded items that originally attracted me," he said. Something of a philosopher, he believes that he was destined to save a dying culture of the past and restore it for the future.

K.A.Jinadasa, a well established salesman of these items, explained how the business works. Whenever an old building is to be demolished they forward an estimate undertaking to complete the work on the condition that every item in the building, from door knobs, to tiles, bricks, wooden items and even sinks and taps be handed over to them.

A. H. Dixon, another collector and vendor, said that once all these are obtained, they assess any damage to the items and fix them. "If they have simply been gathering dust or have not been painted for years, we attend to them accordingly. But most often, the items are scraped with a piece of glass to get the paint or the corrupt exterior off the piece. After this treatment the frames and doors look as good as new," he said.

Lucrative though it may seem, the trade has its pitfalls. Jinadasa says that many newcomers tend to bid for buildings that are up for demolition without realising the difficulty of selling the salvaged items. "They end up spending more than they earn. This deprives other salesmen from making a trade either."

"Sales are not as good as before. Although there are few people in the business, as in the case of everything else, making a living is tough," Jinadasa said. He says that the high costs of obtaining the items, restoring them, paying rent, and employing workers while needing security to safeguard the goods, prevents them from selling the items at anything less than a few thousand rupees.

Walking into one of these wayside yards is like walking into a museum. Each item seems to tell a story. Window frames going back a hundred years, a door from a former Maldivian Embassy which was demolished-these are some of the intriguing items we stumbled on.

And who are the people who come around? Most are wealthy folk and foreigners looking for an authentic piece to add a touch of distinction to their homes, say Messrs Gomis and Jinadasa.

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