In the depot with Suleika: between heritage and recognition

The Museum Maluku depot in Rotterdam houses thousands of objects that together tell parts of Moluccan history. Some are instantly recognisable. Others mainly raise questions. This is where Suleika works alongside Maria to unpack, register and rephotograph our collection.

During my visit to the depot, I meet Suleika: a heritage professional who not only applies her expertise here, but also grows closer to her own roots.

Curiosity as a starting point

Curiosity quickly emerges as a recurring theme in her story. After studying at the Reinwardt Academy, Suleika earned her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Heritage. At the depot, her professional knowledge and personal interests come together.

After all, where better to apply your knowledge of heritage while exploring your own history than among the objects collected and preserved by the generations before us?

The work is meticulous and sometimes time-consuming. Objects are unpacked, checked and registered. Existing information is processed and supplemented where necessary. At the same time, the collection is being photographed again, making the objects more accessible digitally as well.

And it is precisely when you handle all those objects one by one that new questions arise.

A rantang that is still in use

When I ask Suleika about her favourite object, she does not have to think for long: the rantang.

To her, the stackable metal food container is much more than a utilitarian object in the collection. She recognises it from home. Her family used to have a rantang, and to her it is an iconic object in Moluccan households.

But its story does not end in the past.

Suleika has a rantang of her own and still uses it. She takes it to school, to work and whenever she needs to bring food with her. An object preserved as heritage in the depot is therefore also simply part of her everyday life.

That is precisely what makes it special. Heritage does not have to be something that belongs only to the past. Sometimes it can be found both in a museum depot and in someone’s kitchen at home.

The object that raises questions

Not everything in the depot is so recognisable.

When I ask which object intrigues her most and what she would like to learn more about, Suleika takes me to an item that neither of us can immediately identify.

We examine it from different angles. What exactly is it? Where did it come from? How was it worn or used?

For now, we suspect that it is some kind of breastplate, possibly worn as jewellery or as a decorative element over clothing. But with a collection like this, it is especially important not to draw conclusions too quickly. Sometimes research simply begins by acknowledging that you do not yet know something.

Moreover, the knowledge may not be found only in books or registration systems, but also among people who recognise the object, know of similar items or have stories that could provide more context.

A collection is always evolving

In the coming period, Maria and Suleika will have their hands full as they continue processing, registering and photographing the collection. Most of this work takes place out of visitors’ sight, but it is an important part of what Museum Maluku does.

Preserving a collection also means continuing to look closely. What do we know about an object? What information is missing? Which stories have yet to be recorded? And who can help us add to that knowledge?

The work in the depot is therefore not limited to what is already known. It also creates space for new discoveries.

Sometimes these begin with research. Sometimes with an unexpected moment of recognition. And sometimes with a simple object such as a rantang, showing that heritage does not only lie behind us, but continues to be used and passed on every day.