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BAB PUBLISHING INDONESIA
BAB PUBLISHING INDONESIA
Retno Sulistianingsih Sitowati
John N. Miksic
Retno Sulistianingsih Sitowati
John N. Miksic
Editor in ChiefJoop Avé
General EditorJohn N. Miksic
Coordinator of CuratorsRetno Sulistianingsih SitowatiDirector of the National Museum
Editorial AdvisorSoedarmadji J.H. Damais
ReaderArdi Halim
Project DirectorRafli Lindaryadi
Photographer Eky Tandyo
Art DirectorJohannes Satyadi
Editorial AssistantUnggul Hermanto
Project AssistantAri Widjanarko
DesignersSamsuri
Rita Mirnawati
Project AdministratorsSeti-Arti Kailola
Ria Fitriani
Project AccountingLiliek Indijati
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this book at the time of
going to press. The Publisher cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies and omissions.
Readers are advised to call the various institutions, if appropriate, to verify details.
Published in 2006 by BAB PUBLISHING INDONESIA
Copyrights © BAB PUBLISHING INDONESIAAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission of the copyright owners.
in association with The National Museum, Jakarta
The Mitra Museum Indonesia Foundation
Second Edition, 2007Printed and bound in Singapore
ISBN 978-979-8926-25-9
Distributed by:
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INTRODUCTION
C O N T E N T S
THE EVOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
STATUARY AND INSCRIPTIONS
HEIRLOOMS OF AN ARCHIPELAGO
FABLED CLOTHS
PORCELAIN AND TERRACOTTA
THREE CENTURIES OF COLLECTIONS
WAYANG AND MASKS
I. INTRODUCTION 10
II. THE EVOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 34
III. THREE CENTURIES OF COLLECTIONS 72
IV. STATUARY & INSCRIPTIONS 90
V. HEIRLOOMS OF AN ARCHIPELAGO 126
VI. FABLED CLOTHS 166
VII. PORCELAIN & TERRACOTTA 188
VIII. WAYANG & MASKS 210
IX. GLORIOUS METALS
• BRONZE & IRON 236 • SILVER 260 • GOLD 268
THE FUTURE 286by Michael Hitchcock
APPENDICES 300
GLORIOUS METALSBRONZE & IRON • SILVER • GOLD
THE FUTURE
APPENDICES
by Retno Sulistianingsih Sitowati, Director of the National Museum
by Wardiman Djojonegoro
by Trigangga, Peni Mudji Sukati & Djunaidi Ismail
by Intan Mardiana & Ni Luh Putu Chandra Dewi
by Hari Budiarti
by Tubagus Andre Sukmana & Nusi Lisabilla Estudiantin
by Ekowati Sundari & Rodina Satriana
by Suwati Kartiwa
by Dedah Rufaedah Sri Handari, Diani Purwandari, Retno Moerdianti, Wahyu Ernawati
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s we enter the 21st century, or more precisely embark
upon the early third millennium, futurologists believe
that many things will change, compared to what we
have seen and experienced in the 20th century which has just
ended.
Many intellectuals who contemplate the future imagine it
will be full of problems, disruptions, and human challenges,
both for individuals and for groups at the level of the nation
as well as all human beings who live on this planet. These
forecasts are of course merely possibilities, since nobody
can really foretell or predict the future.
Opposite page:
Mañjusrı Sikhadara
Material: SilverOrigin: Ngemplak, Semongan, Semarang, Central JavaPeriod: Early 10th centuryDimensions: Height 29 cm; Width16 cm; Thickness16 cm Accession Number: 5899/A 1105Discovered: October 1927
In October 1927 a resident of the village of Ngemplak, Semongan, central Java, found a massive silver statue weighing about 10 kilograms composed of 92% pure silver.
This statue portrays the boddhisattva Mañju sr ı as a youth, Mañju sr ı Sikhadara. Here he is portrayed seated in the lalit asana posture, right hand in waramudra, symbolizing charity. His left hand holds the stem of a half-open blue lotus (utpala), on which rests a book symbolizing true enlightenment. He wears a beautiful necklace with square pendant and two tiger’s claws, amulets to ward off danger. Worthy of note are his hairdo, earplugs, and a diagram consisting of four floral petals on the palm of his hand, and the incised pattern of his sarong. His neck with three folds of skin depicts good fortune. The decoration of his crown and the style of the statue are identical to the art of northeast India during the Pala kingdom.
Above:
Tombstone of Sultan Nahrisyah
Origin: Samudra Pasai (Aceh)Material: Cement (replica)Dimensions: Height 153 cm; Width 76 cm; Thickness 11 cm
This is a replica of a marble tombstone originally ordered from Cambay (Gujarat). The tombstone bears a text in Arab script in Naskh and Kufic style, Arabic language, and contains the date 831 H or 1428 CE. This is one of only two such stones in Indonesia, the other being that of Maulana Malik Ibrahim in Gresik, East Java. This stone bears verses from Al-Qur’an, including ayat Kursi and surat Yassin; two kalimat Syahadat, and praise of Allah SWT and the Prophet Muhammad SAW. The stone also bears the names of five rulers of Samudra Pasai : Sultan Malik As Shaleh, Sultan Muhammad Ibnu al Malik as Shaleh, Sultan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Malik as Shaleh, Sultan Zainal Abidin ibn Sultan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Malik as Shaleh, and Sultan Nahrisyah binti Sultan Zainal Abidin.
Retno Sulistianingsih SitowatiDirector of the National Museum
INTRODUCTION
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Left:
Basrelief
Material: StoneOrigin: East JavaPeriod: 14th – 15th century Height 68 cm Accession Number: 436a/4821Acquired: 1905
This relief depicts a meditation place and pavilion in the forest during the period of the Majapahit kingdom. Visible on the relief are thick clusters of trees, hills, and roads, indicated by arrangements of round cobblestones. This scenery illustrates life in a mandala community, a special area occupied by a Buddhist or Hindu group under a guru.
Opposite page:
Flask Material: Glazed stonewareOrigin: Rhineland, GermanyPeriod: 18th – 19th century, Banten, West JavaHeight 25 cm Accession Number: 2780Gift of E.W. van Orsoy de Flines, 1959
Many examples of flasks like this one, which were used to hold liquor, have been found in places where the Dutch East Indies company had offices. Because of their unique motif—the face of a bearded man and a flower—these bottles earned the name ‘Pak Jenggot’ (‘Mister Whiskers’).
Nevertheless, these forecasts constitute “scholarly” expectations
arrived at by people with broad horizons, deep experience, and based
on profound research. It therefore behooves us to pay close attention to
what they have to say and to anticipate that what they predict may really
come to pass.
Perhaps it is salutary to mention here one version of a future which
has been predicted, that of Samuel P. Huntington in his thesis “Clash of
Civilizations” (1993). In his estimation, basic sources of conflict in the
post-Cold War era will no longer stem from ideological clashes; rather
they will arise from cultural conflicts. The clash of civilizations will create a
new arena of conflict. It seems as though Huntington’s thesis has already
received some confirmation: events since 11 September 2001, directly or
indirectly, mirror the existence of geopolitical conflicts which continue to
smolder, which some consider to be evidence for the existence of a cold
war between two civilizations: West versus
Islam. On a smaller scale we in Indonesia
have witnessed ethnic conflicts between
the Dayak and Madurese. These data all
point to the same conclusion, that conflicts
of interest not infrequently are really
instigated by political considerations.
If we observe more intently the
evolution of civilization over three
millennia, an important transition in the
history of civilization can be discerned.
Three stages of evolution can be identified.
The first came when humans began to
employ agriculture as the mainstay of
their economy. In agrarian societies, the
principles of mutual assistance colored all
aspects of life. Indonesia passed through
this phase in prehistory, around 1500
BCE.
In the second phase, civilization
entered the industrial age in the 19th
century. The discoveries of electricity and
steam power for factories altered the role
of human beings. The principle of mutual
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assistance found in village-level agrarian societies changed to the
individualism typical of society in industrialized cities. Industrialization
fortified class distinctions in society; owners of capital portrayed as
capitalists and workers portrayed as communists/socialists. Finally, these
class distinctions sharpened into ideological differences: capitalism
represented by the western bloc, and communism/socialism represented
by the eastern bloc.
In the third stage, we entered the era of advances in communication
and information technology, which we are still experiencing today.
The development of information and communication technology has
made the world smaller; with new gadgetry, a wireless instrument for
communication and information such as a PDA phone for example, it is
as if the world can be held in one hand. With this instrument, wherever
we may be, any other place no matter how remote is now reachable,
and any information anywhere in the world can be accessed quickly from
any other point in the world via the internet. In this era, the availability
of information has joined clothing, food, and shelter as a basic human
need. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the right to
information will be considered a basic human right, so that it will be
seen as a crime to withhold information which society ought to possess.
The difficulty is that just like food, not all information is good for our
“health”. Information which misleads, incites or insults an individual or a
society, or threatens morality, should be avoided.
Below:
Piggy Bank (Celengan) Material: ClayOrigin: Mojokerto, East JavaPeriod: 14th – 15th centuryDimensions: Height 36 cm; Length 49 cm; Width 27 cmAccession Number: 7858Acquired: 1941
This object in the shape of a pig was intended as a place to store coins. It is hollow and has a lot in its back through which coins could be inserted. Chinese bronze coins were official currency of the kingdom of Majapahit in the 14th century. Various kinds of coin containers were made; others were spherical in shape, with round holes to create ventilation and prevent the coins from deteriorating. They provide evidence that Javanese of the Majapahit period were familiar with the concept of saving, and that the economy was based on the use of money. Coin containers were made of several materials such as bamboo and wood besides clay. The pig form or celeng in Javanese was however the most popular, as demonstrated by the many examples of them which have been discovered.
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Now, how can a museum position itself and take into account the
changes now taking place? A museum is a place to preserve evidence
of universal human civilization, to expose universal human works. Thus,
with all the humanitarian values present in it, a museum should become
a place to reflect on ourselves or a place of study. We can learn from
the wisdom of the past which our ancestors handed down for us, or
from the mistakes made by our predecessors. A museum should not
only present glorious human achievements, rather it should also dare to
expose human mistakes which resulted in destruction and disaster for
others. There are quite enough such humanitarian tragedies to satisfy the
latter criterion for preservation in museums: the tsunami in Aceh, the
G30S/PKI at Lubang Buaya, Hitlerian Nazism and the genocide of
the Jews, the Khmer Rouge massacre of their own people under
the leadership of Pol Pot, etc. These are certainly horrifying,
but they are part of the history of human
civilization.
A museum should be a bridge between
civilizational differences or conflicts such
as Huntington predicted. If there is now a
civilizational conflict between the West and
Islam triggered by the events mentioned
above, and Muslims are perceived as
“terrorists”, then it is necessary to create
exhibitions which present accurate information
about Islam to society. This has in fact been
pioneered by Australia, through the National Gallery
of Australia, which organized a joint exhibition on the
theme of “Crescent Moon: Islamic Art and Civilization
of Southeast Asia”. This exhibition with
the goal of providing understanding
to non-Muslim citizens of Australia
regarding Islam in Southeast Asia asks
whether “terrorists” would have been
able to create glorious works of art 600
years ago. Terrorists only know how to
make and use weapons to injure others for
mistaken reasons.
Right:
Rooftop Decoration (Mamolo)
Material: Clay Origin: Cirebon, West JavaHeight 39.5 cmAccession Number: 21061aAcquired: 1935, donated by S.W. Mauren Greecher.
This clay rooftop decoration is a cylinder with a small crown on its apex, which gives rise to the artifact’s name, mamolo, meaning “head”. Houses decorated with mamolo usually belonged to wealthy or royal families, because the dwellings of the commoners were usually made of wood and sugarpalm thatch. Such artifacts were usually made by applique technique.
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Opposite page:
Covered Box
Material: Gold, gemsOrigin: Palembang, South SumatraPeriod: 19th centuryDimensions: Diameter 5 cm; Height 5.7 cm Accession Number: E 251
This round gold covered box or cupu set with gems displays the special nature of Palembang culture. That region is well-known for its gilt woodcarvings, its goldwork, and its songket weavings incorporating gold thread. The surface of this covered box exhibits strong influence from the goldwork of the Bugis inhabitants of Riau Lingga and the island of Bima.
Above:
Chastity Cover
Material: Gold, silver Origin: Gowa, South Sulawesi Period: UnknownHeight 6 cmAccession Number: E 530/12594Acquired: During the Dutch military expedition to South Sulawesi in 1906
This item used to cover the genitals of young girls is locally called jempang. It may have been used as an amulet to be hung from a cord tied around the waist. The heart-shaped plate is decorated with beaten and carved floral and leaf tendrils.
The above is presented as an example of how a museum should
be creative in dealing with hot issues affecting society as the theme of
an exhibition, supported of course by relevant collections. There are
quite a few similar events in Indonesia which in essence threaten the
disintegration of the nation or destruction of the environment, which
could be made the subjects of exhibitions. The important point to be
grasped is that the museum can provide balanced information regarding
an event to society, without blaming any particular group, race, nationality
or tribe, or religion. It seems that such concerns will become a new
paradigm in exhibition design. The museum cannot always be a place
to feed nostalgia by exhibition objects which are
old, antique, of high aesthetic value, or with other
attributes which create a romantic atmosphere.
Instead the museum should strive to become
a medium for educating society, especially
the younger generation, to adopt a positive
attitude toward any event which has ever
take place on earth.
The image of the museum, which
Indonesians until now have perceived as a
“showcase for antiques” exhibiting whatever they
happen to possess, dark and scary, must be changed.
The social stigma attached to museums sooner or later
must change to a vision of the museum as a pleasant
place. For this reason progress in information technology
has caused museums, willingly or not, to follow the trend of
this development. The development of information technology has
been marked by the blazing growth of internet use by society because
it is supported by increasing sophistication in telecommunications and
computer technology.
By exploiting information technology several benefits can be
obtained, including the mutual sharing of data, simultaneous access
to data and information, and mutual exploitation of equipment. Data
and information can be in the form of collection databases, interactive
CDs, and websites. The appearance of information presented through an
attractive unity of graphics and journalism is a very important factor in
the endeavor to increase the interest of site visitors or internet users.
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Museum development can begin by revitalizing existing museums,
making museums and their public facilities multifunctional, and ultimately
by developing new facilities. The concept of the digital museum is
only one type of effort aimed at museum development. There are two
considerations here, the first being the optimal exploitation of museum
resources by using digital technology. In this regard, several steps need
to be taken, such as using digital technology in exhibition design, or
creating virtual displays. The second is the creation of new museums
with digital technology in the virtual world. Museums, particularly the
Museum Nasional, play a very strategic role in introducing culture, in
particular material culture, to society in order to enable them to
understand cultural dynamics and diversity. The understanding
of cultural diversity is greatly needed in Indonesia with its
multiethnic nature. Through such understanding, it is hoped
that ethnic groups will value and understand the cultures
of other ethnic groups with the result that intersocietal or
intercultural conflict will be averted.
According to Law Number 5, 1992, of the Republic of
Indonesia, clause 22, stipulation 1: ‘Certain items of moveable
or tangible cultural heritage whether owned by the State or by
individuals may be kept in and/or preserved in museums’, and
according to Government Regulation Number 19, 1995, clause 1,
stipulation 1: ‘A museum is an institution, place for storage, treatment,
safeguarding, and exploitation of artifacts of human material
culture together with nature and the environment for the purpose
of supporting efforts to protect and preserve the wealth of the
nation’s cultural heritage’.
The existence of these laws and regulations clearly show that
the museum should be the only institution for keeping objects created by
cultural activity in the past. If this consideration were fully realized, the
museum would have the responsibility for keeping all moveable cultural
property which required storage and treatment in order to be exploited
for research, whether for scholarly purposes or as aids to understanding
history and culture.
Left:
Mirror
Material: BronzeOrigin: Krai, Semanten, Pacitan, East Java Period: 13th – 15th centuryDimensions: Height 26.8 cm; Diameter 15.8 cm Accession Number: 1108f/3872Acquired: 1898 Mirrors, termed darpana in Sanskrit, had two uses: in composing one’s toilet, and in rituals. In religious ceremonies, mirrors were used to reflect the statues of deities to be sanctified. During the sanctification ritual, the statues of the deities were bathed, in a way similar to that performed in Bengal, India. Deities’ images made of metal (gold, silver, copper, or bronze) and clay were not usually bathed; instead a mirror was placed in front of the statue, and the mirror was then bathed in place of the statue. This mirror is round and has a handle shaped like an inverted T. The front of the mirror is plain and undecorated. The rear of the mirror is decorated with the pencu, i.e. a circle in the middle of a field which resembles a woman’s nipple.
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In conjunction with this consideration the Museum Nasional has a
vision, which is “the development of a National Museum able to serve as
a means of instillation of intelligence in the life of the nation, implanting
pride in national culture, and improving international civilization, unity,
and friendship”. Its mission is also [1] increasing understanding of the
complexity of national culture in order to foster national awareness which
is cultured and civilized, developing the attitude of mutual respect and
admiration in social, community, and national life, encouraging creativity in
the progress toward strengthening national unity and civilization building;
[2] raising the profile of information regarding national culture in order to
achieve adequate recognition in civilized international intercourse.
This vision and mission need to be reified in the design of exhibitions
of material culture so that the Museum Nasional can genuinely become
a source of national development, and to increase understanding of
national culture in the framework of strengthening national unity.
In the early phase, exhibition design in the Museum Nasional
around 50 to 100 years ago was really like what society perceives as
a “showcase of antiques”, since the main impression given was that
the principle considerations were neatness and density of objects. The
Above:
Kain Endek (Weft Ikat)
Origin: BaliSize: 141.5 x 122.5 cmAccession Number: 23939
A type of weft ikat in Bali called endek. Long ago endek were solely the prerogative of the princely families, worn on special occasions in palaces and temples as wraparound wastra or kampuh, as breast cloths or selendang or anteng, or as shawls, cerik. The endek frequently contained added songket. This endek is decorated with wayang figures in the centerfield and tumpal motifs at both ends of the cloth.
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Left:
Gunungan (Babad or Kayon)
Material: Bronze, cottonOrigin: Klungkung, BaliDimensions: Height 89 cm;Width 44 cmAccession Number: 14963Acquired in the war of 1906 which resulted in the puputan massacre
This gunungan is made of coins called kepeng. The upper part bears images of banaspati/kala and other shapes. The Gunungan stands on a wooden base carved and painted red, white, black, and gray.
approach to the organization of the collections was unclear; some were
arranged according to regional (ethnographic) criteria, others according
to chronology (prehistory, archaeology, history), material (stone, bronze,
gold, terracotta, porcelain), and on the basis of scientific discipline
(numismatics, geography). Furthermore, supporting infrastructure and
information tags were scarce so that the items on display were not
very interesting. The Museum Nasional was not fully able to play the
role as a source of edutainment because it did not possess any means
of amusement such as toys, demonstrations which amused as well as
educated, etc.
This statement indicates the need for redesigning the
permanent exhibits of the Museum Nasional in order to
achieve the optimal result in conformity with the museum’s
vision and mission. Thus, since 1996 a
Museum Nasional development project
was implemented incorporating the
construction of two new buildings,
units B and C, reorganization of
exhibits, and other infrastructure.
The new construction experienced
delay as a result of the monetary
crisis which began in Indonesia
in 1998. The lack of funds made it
necessary to extend the building
program on the basis of cost-benefits,
with the goal of making each stage in
implementation immediately beneficial for
the public as exhibition space.
In the context of maximizing the
presentation of information about the
collection, the following efforts were made;
first reorganizing the permanent exhibitions
of the Museum Nasional, changing from the
style noted above to a cultural-ecological
approach. The cultural-ecological approach
is based on the rationale that in the life
of every society are always found cultural
elements which are universal, considered
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core attributes of all societies such as social organization, political life,
and belief systems, which are always related to subsistence and the
structure of economic life. It is hoped that the cultural-ecology approach
will make it easier to explain and understand the diversity of culture in
the Nusantara.
Second, expanding the range of media used to deliver information
about the collection, not only through displays supported by written labels
and internal audio-visual means, but also supported by external print
and electronic media. Provision of information through electronic media,
as explained previously, has been achieved with the construction of a
museum website and radio and television broadcasts. Print media which
can be disseminated to the public include leaflets, journals, catalogues,
and monographs about the collections. All such media are provided
in order to increase public knowledge about the museum’s existence
and services. Therefore the publication of the book Icons of Art should
be greeted warmly, since it will create an opportunity for the public,
especially those living outside this country, to gain some knowledge
about the collection of the Museum Nasional, which may be distant from
their own land and therefore beyond the means of many to visit and view
its contents in person. May the publication of Icons of Art enrich the store
of narratives of the human condition for those living in other parts of the
world, by giving them a chance to learning about this nation, Indonesia,
with its special diversity of ethnic groups and cultures.
Right:
Short Golok Knife
Material: BoneOrigin: North Papua (Ifar) Dimensions: Length 31; Width 4 cmAccession Number: 18363cAcquired: 1922, donation by Dr. P. Wirz, professional ethnographer who worked in Papua.
This golok or knife made from the bone of a cassowary bird is sharpened at one end and decorated with spirals and other motifs. Such knives were important tools for Papuans who used them for cutting and carving.
