The story behind a prized horn
MIRI: Despite getting very lucrative offers, antique shop operator Tiang Heng is not about to part with one of his prized collections.
Operating his shop at Jalan Bendara here, Tiang, 68, said he had been approached by many collectors to buy a horn which he bought from a man from Pa’ Daleh in Bario.
“I bought it from a man in Pa’ Daleh in Bario years back for RM4,000. There is a story behind it,” he said.
According to him, the horn was found hanging on a branch of a tree in the village. Prior to its discovery, a group of children were said to be playing under the tree when they stumbled upon bones scattered around the tree. They then went home to tell their parents.
He went on to say that when the parents were under the tree, the sky turned black, with thunder and lightning roaring and flashing in the sky. Upon looking up, he said they saw the
I bought it from a man in Pa’ Daleh in Bario years back for RM4,000. There is a story behind it. Tiang Heng, antique shop operator
horn hanging on a branch of the tree. Believing that it belonged to a deer that had died of old age, one of them climbed up the tree and brought it down. Seeing that it was unique as it was entangled, the man then brought it home. It became the family’s heirloom for three generations before the man sold it to Tiang.
Tiang said when he brought the horn back with him to Miri, he had a dream that the horn must not be hung on the wall.
He said because of the dream, he decided not to sell the horn and keep it on top of a jar in the shop.
“I received a lot of offers from collectors for the horn. However, I’ll not be selling it to anyone. It is one of the attractions for those going into the shop,” he added.
On another matter, Tiang said most of the antiques in his shop were bought in Miri and other parts of the state.