National
Museum of the Republic of Indonesia is one manifestation of the
influence of Europe, especially the spirit of the Enlightenment, which
emerged in the 18th century.
The
house was built in 1862 by the Dutch Government under Governor-General
JCM Radermacher in response to the association Bataviaasch Genootschap
van Kunsten en Wetenschappen aimed examine scientific research in the
Dutch East Indies.
The
museum was inaugurated in 1868, but the museum's forerunner institution
born in 1778, precisely on 24 April, at the time of the formation of
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 UK government 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 at Jalan Majapahit 3. This
building was used as a museum and meeting space for the Literary
Society (formerly named "Societeit de Harmonie".) This building complex
is now at the State Secretariat.In
1862, after fulfilling museum collections in Jalan Majapahit, Dutch
East Indies government established a new building located at Jalan
Merdeka Barat 12. This building was opened to the public in 1868.National
Museum known as Museum Gajah since dihadiahkannya bronze elephant
sculpture by King Chulalongkorn from Thailand in 1871. But on May 28, 1979, the official name became the National Museum of the Republic of Indonesia. Then
on 17 September 1962, the Institute of Culture of Indonesia to manage,
submit to the government of the Republic of Indonesia Museum. Since
then the management official museum by the Directorate General of
History and Archaeology, under the Ministry of Education and Culture. But starting in 2005, the National Museum is under the management of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.A
note on the website of 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 already exceeds 140,000 pieces of his collection, but only one-third that can be shown to the audience.The museum is located at Jalan Merdeka Barat. Museum Gajah many collecting ancient artifacts from all over the archipelago. Among other things included are a collection of ancient statues, inscriptions, ancient objects and other craft items. The
collection is categorized into ethnography, bronze, prehistoric,
ceramics, textiles, numismatic, historical relics and treasures.Before
the National Library building located at Jalan Salemba 27, Central
Jakarta was established, Elephant Museum's collection includes ancient
manuscripts. Manuscripts and library collections Elephant Museum is now stored at the National Library.Collection of many sources derived from archaeological excavations, grants collector since the Dutch East Indies and purchase. Collections of ceramics and ethnographic collections of Indonesia's largest and most comprehensive museum in the world. This museum is the first and largest museum in Southeast Asia.Collection
of interest is the tallest statue of Bhairawa statue in the National
Museum with a height of 414 cm is a manifestation of the god Lokeswara
or Awalokiteswara, which is a manifestation of Bodhisattva (Buddha beam)
on earth. This
statue is in the form of a man standing over the bodies and rows of
skulls and holding a cup of skull in his left hand and a short dagger
with his right hand the Arab style, Roco found in Padang, West Sumatra. This statue is estimated to come from the 13th century - 14. Collection
of Buddha statues in the museum is the oldest form Dipangkara Buddha
statues made of bronze, bronze is stored in a glass case in a separate,
distinct fate with Buddha statues, Hindu statues of the oldest in the
archipelago, namely Vishnu Cibuaya (about 4M) is located in a stone
statue without text labels and blocked by Ganesha statue from the temple Banon.