#
Museum Maluku unpacks: gifts that tell stories
A treasure chest of stories
Recording has begun on our new vodcast series Unboxing – Uitgepakte verhalen! In five episodes we dive into the rich and diverse intangible heritage of the Moluccas. At the heart of this series are objects unpacked by different Moluccan generations, each with a story that has often been overlooked. They are stories that connect us with the past, with the heritage often still hidden away in our houses, sometimes tucked away in the attic or stowed in cupboards.
We encouraged Moluccan families to look out those treasures and share them with us. And with success: a number of remarkable objects and the stories that go with them have come forward. These stories, which we record on film and in audio, bring the rich culture and history of the Moluccan communities in the Netherlands back into view. With Unboxing we shine a new light on the valuable but sometimes forgotten stories of Moluccans here in the Netherlands.
Three remarkable gifts
Unboxing shows how important it is to preserve and share these objects and stories. While we literally unpack these stories in front of the camera, remarkable treasures keep coming into the museum outside the recordings too. Recently we have received a number of unique gifts which, like the objects in the vodcast, tell unique and remarkable stories.
Prof. Dr Jos Platenkamp
In April 2023, for instance, we received a gift from Prof. Dr Jos Platenkamp. This eminent cultural anthropologist carried out extensive research in the 1970s and 1980s in the village of Paca in the Tobelo region of the North Moluccas. His gift contains 580 slides, notes and a copy of his dissertation, in which he documented the social structures and rituals of the Tobelo community. One of the most remarkable aspects of this gift are the images of Platenkamp's own ritual marriage into the community. That ritual gave him the protection and kinship relations that were essential to his stay and work in the village and with 'relatives' in other villages.
A golden dish
Another remarkable gift is the Piring Mas, a golden dish initially only lent to us for our exhibition IKAT – Rituals around marriage, but later given to us by its private owner. The dish is now part of our permanent collection and represents an important piece of intangible heritage.
A unique 17th-century map
Finally we can add a unique 17th-century map to our collection, given by Herman Keppy during our event Jendela Maluku in July this year. This antique map, made around 1660 by Johannes Janssonius, shows the North Moluccan spice islands of Bacan, Makian, Moti and Mare. For two years the map hung in Herman's office, but while clearing out he decided it was time for a new home. Museum Maluku, he felt, was the ideal place to secure this valuable piece of history.
Museum Maluku is enormously grateful for these gifts. Since its founding in 1986 the museum's broad collection has been able to develop thanks in part to generous donors. These contributions are invaluable for the preservation and passing on of Moluccan heritage. With these new additions our collection keeps growing and we can paint an ever more complete picture of the rich history and culture of the Moluccan community.
Donating to the museum
Do you have a remarkable object that tells a story and that you would like to share with us? Museum Maluku is always open to new gifts. You can get in touch with us by sending an email to collectie@museum-maluku.nl
11 October – Opening of the RE:CAST exhibition
Five talented young Moluccan artists of the third and fourth generation turn their attention to the story of slavery in the Moluccan archipelago, which until now has often been overlooked.
