Chandni Vatvani and Calvin Yang, Jakarta – Hundreds of Indonesian artefacts that were in the Netherlands for more than a century – the bulk of which were looted by the Dutch during their colonial rule – are now on display at Indonesia's National Museum in Jakarta.
They are among the latest batch of items returned after a lengthy process involving both countries.
The repatriated artefacts on display are diverse. They comprise coins, jewellery and textiles representing a mosaic of tradition and culture from across the Southeast Asian country.
The collection also includes large-scale historical statues from the Hindu-Buddhist temple complex of Singasari in East Java.
Retrieving cultural artefacts
Among the items is the so-called "Lombok treasure" said to be taken by Dutch soldiers from the Tjakranegara Palace and surrounding villages on Indonesia's Lombok island after the end of the Lombok War in 1894.
The repatriated artefacts also include those from the Puputan Badung war collection taken during the Dutch military intervention in Bali.
The 132 Pita Maha collection, which was not looted but part of an art exhibition in the Netherlands since 1948, has also formally been returned to the Indonesian government.
The handover is seen as a cultural achievement for Indonesia, said observers, adding that it underscores the commitment by both sides to preserve their shared heritage.
The Indonesian government has vowed to continue its efforts in retrieving other cultural artefacts believed to be still located abroad.
A repatriation committee was established in 2021, and the process has paid off. Returned in batches over two years, 828 cultural items have been sent back to Indonesia as of mid-December, according to the Indonesian Heritage Agency.
Prior to that, in January 2020, the Netherlands returned 1,500 artefacts that used to be held in the Nusantara Museum in Delft to Indonesia, four years after an agreement was made with the Education and Culture Ministry.
The Nusantara Museum was the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated specifically to art and cultural objects from Indonesia, which shut its doors in 2013 due to budgetary constraints.
Preserving history
I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, head of the Committee for the Repatriation of Indonesian Collections in the Netherlands, said items that were repatriated had to undergo various processes, including meeting the criteria of historical injustice.
The objects also require provenance research, intended to examine the origin to ensure the authenticity, and have to be requested by the state, he added.
As the number of returned artefacts continues to grow, the National Museum of Indonesia now has the added responsibility of finding ways to preserve them.
"Some are organic and made from wood or plants, while some are of non-organic material such as stone and metal or other elements which need to be handled in specific ways," said Gunawan, head of the museum's collection management team.
"Humidity is the main factor to consider. With Indonesia's temperature and Jakarta's high humidity levels, we need to provide a higher level of care and maintain a stable environment so that these objects are sustainable."