Seeing The Glory of Majapahit Kingdom From Majapahit Museum Collections

If you visit Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia, something was missing if you do not visit Majapahit museum. Because here are stored various relics during the glory of Majapahit Kingdom. Majapahit museum early founded on April 24, 1924 by R.A.A Kromodjojo Adinegoro, a Mojokerto regent in cooperation with Ir. Henry Maclaine Pont, a Dutch architect who founded Oudheeidkundige Vereeneging Majapahit (OVM).

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OVM is an association that aims to examine a house in Trowulan site located at the highway department Mojokerto - Jombang Km.13 to store artifacts obtained through excavation, survey or discovery inadvertently. Given the many artifacts that deserves to be exhibited, then planned to build a museum that was realized in 1926 before Indonesia's independence, known as Trowulan museum.

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In 1942, the museum was closed to the public because of Maclaine Pont prisoner by the Japanese army. Since then the museum has always changed owners and finally managed by the Archaeological Heritage Preservation Hall in East Java. The museum is now the task of not only protecting the cultural heritage objects of Majapahit, but the entire ancient relics scattered in East Java. So do not be surprised if this museum collections more and more.

relief collections. image source

To overcome this problem move to a more spacious ± 2 km from the original place, but are still on Trowulan site. The new museum is in accordance with the organizational structure referred to as Arca Rescue Center, but the public still knew it as Trowulan Museum. In 1999, a collection of inscriptions relics R.A.A Kromodjojo Adinegoro was moved from arca building Mojokerto to the Trowulan Museum. So Trowulan Museum collections more completed. Based on the function, Trowulan Museum later named Arca Rescue Center (BP3) East Java.

the architect of the house in the kingdom of Majapahit. image source

Considering the need for information was increasing from the public about Majapahit, so now the name of Arca Rescue Center (BP3) was changed to the Majapahit Information Center and now people know it as the Majapahit Museum. In accordance with its history, a collection of Majapahit Information Center is dominated by cultural heritage objects of Majapahit. Through these relics, there are some aspects of the Majapahit culture can be studied further in areas such as agriculture, irrigation, architecture, trade, industry, religion and the arts.

All collections of cultural heritage objects are neatly arranged in the building, the hall and the museum yard. The objects are so arranged and exhibited into several groups:

1. Clay collections(Terracotta)
2. Terracotta Man collections
3. The production tools
4. Household appliances
5. Architecture
6. Ceramic collections. Ceramic collections owned by the Majapahit Information Center comes from some foreign countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The ceramic have different shapes and functions such as jars, jugs, plates, bowls, spoons, and vases
7. Metal collections. A collection of cultural heritage objects made of metal which is owned by the Majapahit Information Center can be classified into several groups such as the collection of ancient currency, collections of ceremony tools as holy, incense, lamps, mirrors, urns, bells, and a collection of musical instruments.
8. Stone collections. A collection of objects of cultural heritage made of stone by type can be classified into several groups such as miniature collections and temple components, arca collections, relief collections and inscription collections. Meanwhile other collections, there are also tools and animal fossils from prehistoric times.

That is the Majapahit museum collections are not to be missed if you're visiting Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia. Hopefully useful for you all.