The dead tell tales at museum

The dead tell tales at museum

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

One of the ancient large gravestones displayed on the wall
remains blank. Underneath it reads the words: This has been
reserved by the Arma family.

This is not a place to buy tombstones. It is actually the
Museum Prasasti (Inscription Museum) on Jl. Tanah Abang in
Central Jakarta.

Some people might feel nervous to visit the museum as the more
than 1,300 items in its collection are related to mortality, such
as the old gravestones, an ancient hearse and coffins, including
the ones used for former president Soekarno and former vice
president Muhammad Hatta.

It was formerly a cemetery known as Kebon Jahe Kober. The
graveyard was built by the Dutch colonial government in 1795 as
the final resting place for those of Dutch ancestry, particularly
those from noble and senior official families.

The city administration closed the graveyard in 1975. Some of
the remains were sent to their families, while others were
reburied in several cemeteries around the city.

However, none of the families transported the gravestones when
they moved their ancestors' remains because they were too large
and heavy, especially those with statues.

The administration then turned the graveyard into a museum in
1977.

Here you can also find many interesting facts about the
gravestones.

According to a staff member at the museum, Ukon, gravestones
reflected the deceased's social status.

"The more artistic the gravestones the higher the social
status of the deceased," he told The Jakarta Post.

Most gravestones had plain designs. However, some came
complete with statues of angels or even monuments.

From the design of the gravestones, one could accurately guess
the profession of the deceased during their lifetime.

One of them is the gravestone for Dr. H.F. Roll, who founded
the STOVIA medical school in 1851. The grave marker for his
tombstone symbolizes a book since he was known as a scholar.

Another displays a figure of a bishop, indicating the past
profession of Adami Caroli Claessens, who served as the Catholic
bishop for Batavia in 1893.

The most unusual and macabre gravestone was the one for Pieter
Erberveld, who died in 1722. It depicts an image of a sword
stabbing a skull.

Ukon said that Erberveld, whose father was a rich German
shoemaker and his mother a Burmese, was sentenced to death for
planning to murder several Dutchmen here on New Year's Eve in
1722.

He was tied to the back of a horse-led carriage and dragged
along Jl. Jayakarta in Central Jakarta.

This is the reason why the area is called Kulit Pecah (broken
skin), Ukon said.

Like other museums in the country, Museum Prasasti fails to
attract many visitors. When the Post visited the museum on
Saturday morning, there was only one Dutch woman who wanted to
see the gravestone of her great grandfather.

"This museum is visited by 40 people a month at the most,"
Ukon remarked, adding that most visitors were Dutch and students.

Even though the museum is interesting, the management does not
provide descriptions for every piece in its collection. There are
less than 20 gravestones which have a description written under
them.

There were no guides, but Ukon, who has served with the museum
for over 20 years, and other staff members are ready to accompany
visitors.

Ukon said some people had organized a garden party in the
museum's yard, while two top local artists had shot their music
videos there.

Awaluddin, another staff member, said the price for a party
that lasts all day and all night only costs Rp 2.5 million.

"And if you use it for only a few hours, the price is
negotiable."