Le Meüchen Gallery, Aceh Besar

munaa (74)Verified | Club75in Steem For Bangladesh • last month

Le Meüchen Gallery

I received an invitation from a former humanitarian activist. His nickname is Dedek. He now works in the healthcare field and has also started a business in that sector. In addition, he has a hobby of selling antiques, especially teacups.

These teacups originate from England. He has been to King Charles’ country, and even has family members who once lived there. Dedek holds a deep impression of the tea-drinking technique he encountered. He finds it fascinating, because to him, drinking tea is not just about sipping colored water.

Various teacup collections

He told me that he had long wanted to create a gallery to showcase and sell his teacup collection, which now numbers in the hundreds. It was only this month that he finally had the chance to set up a small space to display these rare items.

What’s more, he is now supported by Kak Yuni, a designer and the owner of a handmade crafts business called Dibea Hands. She creates knitted and stitched products, various craft items, kits, and more.

Now, the collaboration between Dedek and Kak Yuni has successfully brought forth a mini gallery. Inside are various personal collections from both of them. Dedek prefers collecting teacups, while Kak Yuni is more interested in antique items.

Among the displays mounted on the wall is a kind of ancient artifact. These include several plates. One of them is a green plate in the top-left corner. He said that the dragon-motif plate came from the Ming Dynasty. But I can’t say for sure, I don’t have the expertise to verify that.

The green plate displayed in the top-left corner of the wall.

However, Kak Yuni claimed that an archaeologist once confirmed it. The plate is estimated to be worth around Rp250 million, or approximately 119,589 Steem, based on the exchange rate of Rp2,091 per Steem. There are dozens of other items that made me hesitant to ask about their prices.

Tapestries [large]

Tapestries [small]

One type of wall décor from France she mentioned is a tapestry. In the Le Meüchen mini gallery, there are two kinds of tapestries: large and small. Reportedly, one large tapestry costs around Rp45 million, or about 21,526 Steem. The small ones are estimated at around Rp15 million or 7,175 Steem.

Seeing the high value of these items, I no longer dared to inquire about the rest of the antique collection.

Meanwhile, the teacups from England come in a wide variety. Dedek mentioned that the cheapest ones are priced at Rp600,000 per piece, or about 287 Steem. The most expensive can reach up to Rp2.5 million, or 1,195 Steem.

The most expensive teacup

The rest of the collection

The opening of this gallery was a modest affair. No formal ceremony was held. Dedek simply invited a few of his close friends. As I and the others entered the gallery, everyone was captivated by the appearance of the 4x5 meter room. It looked rather grand and luxurious.

In reality, the gallery occupies just a single room in a house rented by a resident from West Java, Indonesia. Dedek simply made use of that small space to build what he calls the Le Meuchen gallery.

The one drawback of this mini gallery is its limited space. In my view, the parking area and other facilities are sufficient. Since the gallery is only open for a limited time, there are no dedicated public facilities like a bathroom or prayer room.