TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta – The Thai Minister of Culture, Vira Rojpojchanarat, visited the History of Java Museum in Yogyakarta on Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2019. Vira Rojpojchanarat stopped by the History of Java Museum during a break from the inauguration of the Ramayana film screening at the CGV Hartono Mall cinema in Yogyakarta.
Vira Rojpojchanarat appeared captivated as he entered the pyramid-shaped History of Java Museum. The museum showcases various collections about the origins of Javanese culture dating back 2.5 million years. Upon entering the museum area, Vira Rojpojchanarat and the delegation from the Thai Ministry of Culture were presented with a 7-minute widescreen film.
They appeared engrossed in the story of the arrival of the first prehistoric humans to the Indonesian archipelago. The film depicted various prehistoric plants and animals, both extinct and still existing today, such as the Javan rhinoceros, Javan eagle, and Javan tiger. This film was enhanced with 3D Augmented Reality technology, making it come to life.
After watching the 3D effects film, the delegation from the Thai Ministry of Culture seemed enthusiastic as they entered the collection room. Inside, there were hundreds of neatly arranged artifacts. Various ancient items, as well as objects from the Majapahit and ancient Mataram kingdoms, were displayed, such as currency from the Majapahit and Mataram kingdoms, ritual tools or offerings, household items, weapons, and books and manuscripts.
There were also royal jewelry from the Majapahit era, agricultural tools, and military equipment. In one corner of the museum, there was a special room displaying collections from the four kingdoms that split from Mataram: the Yogyakarta Sultanate, Pakualaman Palace, Surakarta Sultanate, and Mangkunegaran Palace. These historical items were neatly arranged in glass displays, grouped according to their era.
The Austronesian Corridor tells the story of life on the island of Java during the Kapitayan period, or when animism and dynamism beliefs were still practiced. Kapitayan religion was the precursor to Javanese traditions. Before the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism, the people of Java were already familiar with Sang Hyang Ismoyo, whose legacy is represented by the statues of Semar and Togog.
“This museum presents a very complete history of Java. It turns out that there are many similarities between Javanese culture and Thai culture,” said Vira Rojpojchanarat. One such similarity is seen in the historical artifacts, some of which can also be found in his country. “From this museum, we learn that Indonesia and Thailand have similar cultural ties dating back to the times of the ancient kingdoms.”
Vira Rojpojchanarat hopes that museums like this can become a platform for preserving and expanding knowledge about the culture and history of Indonesia. During the visit, the delegation from the Thai Ministry of Culture was also treated to a Gambyong dance as a welcome performance.
The Head of the History of Java Museum, Ki Sutikno, stated that since its official opening at the end of 2018, they have been actively promoting the museum at local, national, and international levels. “We hope that this visit by the Thai minister will inspire other international tourists who wish to learn about history, especially Javanese history,” he said.
News link: https://travel.tempo.co/read/1199482/menteri-thailand-kagumi-museum-history-of-java-di-yogakarta