The Dutch government returns 478 objects looted during the colonial era from Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Following multiple claims from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, the Dutch Minister of Culture Robbert Dijkgraaf took the decision to repatriate objects including the “treasure of Lombok” consisting of 335 objects from Lombok, a key collection of modern art from Bali , the Pita Maha Collection, and the 18th century Kandy Cannon which is made of bronze, silver and gold and encrusted with rubies and may have been used to fire ceremonial shots to welcome royal visitors.
“This is a historic moment,” Dutch State Secretary for Culture Gunay Uslu said in a statement. “This is the first time that we have followed recommendations…to return items that should never have been brought to the Netherlands. We are also beginning a period of closer cooperation with Indonesia and Sri Lanka in areas such as collection research, presentation and museum exchange.
In 2020, a Dutch Council for Culture report produced by a committee chaired by human rights lawyer Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You recommended that the country “unconditionally return” items that it was reasonably sure had been unintentionally lost by countries under its colonial authority. He said financial compensation was also an option.
Many objects to be returned can be found at the National Museum of World Cultures. Six artifacts claimed by Sri Lanka are currently in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of arts and history of the Netherlands; this is his first repatriation of colonial objects from the museum following a provenance research that began in 2017. The Kandy cannonfor example, was plundered by troops of the Dutch East India Company during the siege and sacking of Kandy in 1765, and it was later gifted to William V, Prince of Orange.
Dr Valika Smeulders, head of the history department at the Rijksmuseum, tells The arts journal there has been a distinct shift in perspective. “I think the way the museum world viewed this debate in the 20th century was very much about preserving objects for future generations, and it’s obvious that museums in Europe have the means to do that,” she says.
“But what has changed is our point of view: these objects must tell the stories of our countries, of our common history of peoples. So what we now see as our mission is to have the objects in the places where they are best able to tell the stories that matter.
She dismisses concerns that the new policy would mean that European museums would lose collection strengths, which until recently played a role in the examination of claims for the restitution of art looted by the Nazis in the Netherlands. “I don’t really think that will happen, because I expect the countries of origin and the museums here in Europe to have a discussion about which objects will come back and not all of them will come back,” says Smeulders. “But what we will gain, all of us, is more knowledge about these objects, how they came into our possession, their history, what stories are we able to tell. So, in the end, we will have an enrichment of what we do instead of empty galleries.
Controversially, the collection of artifacts repatriated to Indonesia will not include the human remains of ‘Java Man’. “Nothing was denied, but some things take longer than others.” a Dutch government spokesman said Guardian.
Gert-Jan van den Bergh, of art law firm Bergh Stoop & Sanders, said: “This is an important step, but just a first step. Don’t forget that we have 300,000 colonial objects which are the property of “The central state of the Netherlands alone. He stressed that there should be a closer examination of colonial objects belonging to private individuals. auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s should also pledge never to auction looted colonial art, as they did in the context of Nazi-looted art. , but I haven’t heard anything from that side.”
A handover ceremony for the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta will take place at Museum Volkenkunde Leiden on July 10.
