Indonesian National Museum

National Museum of the Republic of Indonesia is one manifestation of European influence, especially the spirit of the Enlightenment, which emerged at about the 18th century. This building was built in 1862 by the Dutch Government under Governor-General JCM Radermacher in response to the association Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen which aims to examine the scientific research in the Netherlands East Indies. The museum was inaugurated in 1868, but the institutional forerunner of this museum was born in 1778, precisely on 24 April, at the time of formation Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen by the Dutch government. Radermacher donate a building located at Jalan Kalibesar along with a collection of books and cultural objects that form the basis for the establishment of the museum.

In the period of British rule under the leadership of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1811-1816), who also serves as Director of Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen ordered the construction of a new building located on Jalan Majapahit No. 3. This building was used as a museum and meeting rooms for the Literary Society (formerly named "Societeit de Harmonie.") This building is now in the State Secretariat complex.

In 1862, after meeting the museum's collection at Jalan Majapahit, the Dutch East Indies government established a new building located at Jalan Merdeka No.12 West. This building was opened to the public in 1868.

The National Museum is known as Museum Gajah since dihadiahkannya bronze elephant sculpture by King Chulalongkorn from Thailand in 1871. But on May 28, 1979, the name officially became the National Museum of the Republic of Indonesia. Then on September 17, 1962, Indonesia's cultural institutions to manage it, gave the Museum to the government of the Republic of Indonesia. Since then the official museum management by the Directorate General of History and Archaeology, under the Ministry of Education and Culture. But starting in 2005, the National Museum under the management of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Notes on the website of the National Museum of the Republic of Indonesia in 2001 showed that the collection had reached 109,342 units. The number of collections that make this museum is known as the most comprehensive in Indonesia. In 2006 the number of fruit collection has already exceeded 140,000, but only a third that can be disclosed to the public.

The museum is located at Jalan Merdeka Barat.
Museum Gajah a lot of collecting antiquities from all over the archipelago. Among other things belonging to the collection are ancient statues, inscriptions, other ancient objects and craft items. These collections are categorized into the ethnography, bronze, prehistoric, ceramics, textiles, numismatic, historical relics, and precious objects.

Before building the National Library which is located at Jalan Salemba 27, Central Jakarta was established, Elephant Museum collection includes manuscripts of ancient manuscripts. These texts and collections of the Museum Elephants are kept in the National Library.

Source collection came from archaeological excavations, grants collector since the days of the Dutch East Indies and purchases. Collection of ceramics and Indonesia in the museum's ethnographic collection is the largest and most comprehensive in the world. This museum is the first and largest museum in Southeast Asia.
In the 1960s, never to be looted gold collection undertaken by the leadership group Saprudin Kasdut. In 1979 there were also stolen coin collection. In 1987 a collection of ceramics worth Rp. 1.5 billion. And the 1996 theft of the paintings can be found back in Singapore.

These managers realize that security is an important factor for maintaining the collection. Therefore, the museum is equipped with alarms, security cameras, and 17 security officers.

Collection of closely guarded condition with conservation. Especially is a collection of papers that need careful handling. Often the collection yag removed and replaced with artificial materials. Although this reduces the authenticity, but it remains to consider the aesthetic side and the original form of the conserved works. Reconstruction efforts are often found to replace the badly damaged collections.

In general, this museum shows the general attitude in most of Asia are more priority than keeping ontentisitas restoration.


An interesting collection is the tallest statue Bhairawa Statue at the National Museum with a high 414 cm this is a manifestation of the god Lokeswara or Awalokiteswara, which is the embodiment Boddhisatwa (radiant Buddha) in the earth. This statue of a man standing on the corpse and rows of skulls and holding a cup from the skull in his left hand and a short dagger with his right hand the Arab style, is found in Roco Padang, West Sumatra. It is estimated that the statue came from century to 13-14. The oldest collection of Buddhist statues in the museum is a statue of Buddha made ​​of bronze Dipangkara, stored in a bronze chamber in its own glass box, a different fate with Buddha statues, Hindu statues of the oldest in the archipelago, namely Vishnu Cibuaya (about 4M) is located in the living statue in rock without text labels and hindered by a statue of Ganesha from the temple of Banon.