National Museum of Indonesia

The National Museum of Indonesia is a museum in Jakarta with collections on Indonesian archaeology, history, ethnology, and culture. Its holdings include artifacts from across the Indonesian archipelago.

Connect

Arca Buddha Dipangkara: A bronze Buddhist statue from Sulawesi, among the oldest known Buddhist images found in Indonesia. This early statue exemplifies the museum’s archaeological holdings and Buddhism’s maritime spread.
Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen: A learned society founded in Batavia in 1778 to promote research in the arts and sciences. The society established the collection and institutional lineage from which the museum developed.
Indonesian archaeology: The study of past societies in the Indonesian archipelago through material remains and their contexts. Archaeology provides the methods behind many of the museum’s ancient objects and displays.
Cultural heritage of Indonesia: The inherited material and intangible traditions associated with Indonesia’s diverse communities and history. The museum is one major institution through which Indonesian heritage is collected and represented.
Prasasti Tugu: A fifth-century Sanskrit inscription from present-day Jakarta, associated with the kingdom of Tarumanagara. The inscription connects the museum’s collections to early written history in the Jakarta region.
Museum Gajah: A common name for Jakarta’s National Museum, derived from the elephant statue outside its building. The nickname preserves the memory of a statue gifted by King Chulalongkorn of Siam in 1871.
Indonesian history: The history of societies and political formations across the Indonesian archipelago, from early states to the modern republic. Historical interpretation links artifacts to changing communities, kingdoms, and political eras.
Repatriation of cultural property: The return of cultural objects to countries or communities from which they were removed. The museum’s colonial-era collections sit within debates about ownership, return, and historical justice.
Nekara Pejeng: A monumental bronze kettle drum from Bali, associated with the Dong Son bronze tradition. This celebrated drum demonstrates the museum’s coverage of prehistoric metalworking and regional exchange.
Indonesian independence: The end of Dutch colonial rule and establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, recognized in 1949. Independence recast a colonial-era collection as a national institution.