472 Indonesian Historical Artifacts Returned by the Netherlands: Here's the List!

On Monday, July 10, 2023, the Dutch government returned 472 historical artifacts to Indonesia at the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden, Netherlands.

The Director General of Culture of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Hilmar Farid, received the artifacts. The handover was made by Gunay Uslu, the Dutch State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science.

"Indonesia, in this case the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, will carry out the best conservation and utilization of these cultural artifacts," said Hilmar in a press release on Monday, July 10, 2023.

Hilmar also explained that the repatriation of these historical objects is not merely about transferring items from the Netherlands to Indonesia, but also about uncovering historical knowledge and the origins of these artifacts, which have previously been unknown to the public.

The 472 returned historical artifacts consist of four types of collections. The largest collection, comprising 335 items, originates from the treasure of the Lombok Kingdom. These items—precious stones, gemstones, gold, and silver—were looted by Dutch forces from Puri Cakranegara, Lombok, in 1894.

Another 132 artifacts are from the Pita Maha Bali art collection. These include paintings, wood carvings, silver objects, and textiles by master artists from the Pita Maha Bali group.

The following details the 472 historical artifacts returned from the Netherlands to Indonesia:

* Lombok Kingdom treasure: 335 artifacts
* Pita Maha art collection: 132 artifacts
* Singasari statues: 4 artifacts
* Puputan Klungkung kris (dagger) from Bali: 1 artifact