Page 16 - AT

A16 LOCAL
Wednesday 9 January 2019

Museum of Antiqueness “Our elderly”

SAN NICOLAS — Meet Heintje Ras: a home some years back he saw
An Aruban fireman with a passion that the owners of the house had
for the Aruban Culture. His love for a very old sewing machine thrown
everything that has to do with our in the backyard and he asked if he
culture and heritage is visible in his can have it. He took it home, fixed
day to day life at his own museum, it and from there he got the idea
Museo di Antiguedad “Nos Bieu- to start collecting old artifacts that
nan”, translated Museum of Anti- people wanted to throw away or
queness “our elderly”. had no use for it. For Ras all these
artifacts have a special meaning,
Since an early age Ras has been a value, they all tell the story of our
fixing sewing machines. So when- ancestors and our heritage. That is
ever someone needed to fix a ma- why he is trying to “rescue” all ar-
chine they would call him. While tifacts that tell a story of our past.
fixing a broken sewing machine at
Artifacts with a Story
The collection started in his garage
at home. More and more artifacts
were gathered and it even got so
crowded that he started putting
them in his living room and contin-
ued to spread all over the house.
That is where the idea occurred to
open up his house for the public.
The need to educate especially
children but also people of all ages
about our history and our ances-
tors is what lead him to open his and acquire. He also loves to share cash register of over 100 years old
own museum at his house. He feels his knowledge of these artifacts that took him 8 years to get in his
joy when seeing kids interested in and their original names in our Pa- possession.
knowing the history of the artifact, piamento language. He still has a dream he wants to see
how it works, especially since youth At his museum you will find artifacts come true to have a “Museum on
nowadays only know the digital dated from the early 1600’s. From Wheels”. A bus with all kinds of ar-
era and everything is so easy to use antique furniture, pots, pans, mu- tifacts that he can drive all around
sical instruments, paintings, tools, the island and take it to all schools
lamps, sewing machines and so and closer to the tourists.
much more. There is a collection of The museum is located at Rooi
around 1000 artifacts. He is in love Master 5E, near Savaneta.
with his whole collection but his
favorite artifacts are a music box For more information contact him
which was almost impossible for on (+297)563-2121 or on Facebook
him to get but after a lot of nego- at Museo di Antiguedad “ Nos Bieu-
tiations he finally got it and also a nan”. Reservations are required. q