Jakarta, IO – The Dutch government said it would return hundreds of artefacts that were removed illegally during the colonial era. The handover will take place on July 10 in Leiden.
The decision was made by the Secretary of State for Culture and Media Affairs Gunay Uslu based on the recommendation from the Advisory Committee for the Return of Cultural Objects from the Colonial Period, per Bisnis Indonesia, Thursday (6/7).
They include the ‘Treasures of Lombok’ which consists of 335 artefacts from Lombok, four statues from Singasari, nine krises from Klungkung, and 132 objects of modern art from Bali known as the Pita Maha collection.
These objects are currently kept by the National Museum of World Culture in Leiden and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The Dutch government responded to Indonesia’s request last year to return a number of heritage objects that were important to the country.
The history of these objects has previously been carefully studied by the National Museum of World Cultures in consultation with experts from Indonesia.
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The committee later discussed their findings with the Indonesian repatriation committee chaired by the former Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands, I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja.
On the basis of the research, the committee recommended that these objects be returned to their country of origin. “This result was achieved thanks to the close cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands as well as a committee of experts in both countries,” said the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. (at)