The Heirloom Museum (Jakarta)

 museum, sculpture

The Heirloom Museum is situated in the southern lane between the Indonesia Soldiery Museum and the Insect Museum, a specific building because on top of the roof there is a "keris" form soaring upwards. The museum aims to preserve, care, collect and provide information on cultural objects such as traditional weapons to the younger generation in order to be proud of the nation. It can also be utilized by people carrying study and research about weapons.

At the beginning the museum collection was the private collection of "Mas Agung", later on it was donated by "Sri Lestari Mas Agung" to Madame Tien Soeharto as Chairperson of the "Harapan Kita" Foundation. After additions by purchasing more collections, the Heirloom Museum has the most completed traditional weapon collection, representing the 26 provinces in Indonesia.

The 1.535 m2 two-storey Museum on a 3.800 m2 area has several rooms as means and support, i.e. an exhibition room, an information room, a management room, a meeting room, a library, a conservation and preservation room, an exchange (sell and purchase) room, and a souvenirs' room.
Besides displaying objects from the weapon collection from all over the Indonesia archipelago, the exhibition room also provides information on various matters concerning heirlooms, for example details of the heirloom, the variety of the shapes of the heirloom, the era of heirloom production, the variety of the decorations of knife blade, various specific heirlooms of the regions, heirlooms from the era to era and discovered heirlooms. Many kinds of wood used for the making of heirlooms and a "besalen" room (a workplace used by a master keris maker or "empu") and his tools completes the exhibition.

The Nagasasra Sabuk Inten" keris from the "Mataram" era, the "kujang" (chopping knife) from the "Pajajaran" era, the gold-inlaid "Singa Barong" keris, the "karih" from Sumatera, the "belati" (a broad-bladed knife) from the "Mataram" kingdom era, the "kudi" from the "Tuban" kingdom era, a sword from the "Hamengku Buwono IX" era and the "Naga Tapa" (a dragon living as an ascetic) "keris" from "Yogyakarta" are displayed as superior heirlooms because they are scarce and considered as legendary.
Besides permanent exhibitions, the museum also organizes occasional exhibitions internally as well as in coordination with third parties. Other activities offered to the public are the "penjamasan" (cleansing) of heirlooms, consultation of heirlooms, and a heirloom exchange for those interested in collecting heirlooms.