NTB Museum salvages remaining artefacts from Sade Traditional Hamlet fire

Mataram (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Museum has begun securing various remaining artefacts to prevent their loss during the clearing of debris following the fire at Sade Traditional Hamlet, Central Lombok Regency.

Head of the NTB Museum Ahmad Nuralam said his team has visited the site twice to inventory and secure objects of historical and cultural value.

“We have informed and sought permission from the hamlet chief and the tourism awareness group to collect several artefacts related to the fire,” he said in Mataram on Wednesday.

He said the fire not only destroyed traditional houses and residents’ homes, but also caused the loss of various cultural objects, including weaving equipment more than 100 years old.

“We collected quite a number of objects related to burnt weaving, household utensils, rice, corn, winnowing trays, including the spout of a kettle that was also burnt,” he said.

Sade Traditional Hamlet, which was established in the 16th century, caught fire on Saturday (22/8) at around 10.00 pm local time.

Several eyewitnesses said the fire first appeared from one of the houses in the middle of the traditional settlement.

The flames then spread to a number of other houses, most of which were built using flammable materials such as wood, bamboo and thatch.

NTB Museum Cultural Officer Gusti Ayu Sri Astiti said her team secured four pieces of woven cloth damaged by the fire during the inventory process two days ago.

The motifs of the four woven cloths are subahnale, pucuk rebung, geometric, and cerbon sasak.

“The cerbong sasak motif is a weaving motif distinctive to Sade Traditional Hamlet. The motif symbolises mutual cooperation or togetherness, as well as harmony,” she said.