Tekening van het mythische rijdier Buraq, door Teuku Teungoh

PPROCE - Provenance Research on Objects of the Colonial Era

PPROCE, Pilot Project Provenance Research on Objects of the Colonial Era, is a joint project of the National Museum of World Cultures, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Expertise Centre of the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies (ECR/NIOD), with the aim of developing a methodology for provenance research into collections with a colonial context. The project was realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Within this project, the steps were mapped out that are necessary for carrying out provenance research into colonial collections. This was done by means of a number of selected cases from Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Main image of this page: RV-1429-134 - Drawing of the mythic mount Buraq, by Teuku Teungoh - Provenance report 15
 

From the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures, 46 objects from Indonesia were examined, for which 33 resulted in provenance reports. The objects can be divided into four different categories:

  • The first group (1 to 11) was selected, in consultation with the National of Museum of Indonesia, from the large collection that until 1883 was part of the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities (Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden).
  • The second group (12 to 27) are objects that entered the NMVW as a result of colonial wars (in Banjarmasin, Aceh, Bali, and the War of Indonesian Independence). 
  • The third group (28) concerns Buddha heads originally from the Borobudur.
  • The fourth group (29 to 33) consists of objects collected by private collectors (Georg Tillmann, Martine Tonnet and Freek Kamma).

The provenance reports were written by the researchers Tom Quist (1,5,8,9,10, 23, 24), Klaas Stutje (2,3,4,6,7,20 t/m 22, 32), Mirjam Shatanawi (11 t/m 19; 25 t/m 27), Marieke Bloembergen and Melle Monquil (28), and Caroline Drieënhuizen (29 t/m 31, 33). Their research was carried out in consultation with members of the PPROCE steering group.

Provenance reports

  1. Provenance report 1, Head cover – Girdle for a state kris – State kris 
    RV-360-1475
    RV-360-1481
    RV-360-1481a
     
  2. Provenance report 2, Shield
    RV-360-1623
     
  3. Provenance report 3, Wayang bèbèr
    RV-360-5255-5256-5257
     
  4. Provenance report 4,  Trophy skull
    RV-360-5268
     
  5. Provenance report 5, State krisses
    RV-360-5393
    RV-360-5394
     
  6. Provenance report 6, Lance
    RV-360-5839
     
  7. Provenance report 7, Musket
    RV-360-5859
     
  8. Provenance report 8, State kris
    RV-360-6021
     
  9. Provenance report 9,  Letter from the Sultan of Madura + Kris of King Willem I
    RV-360-800
     
  10. Provenance report 10, State kris
    RV-360-8082
     
  11. Provenance report 11, Amulet scroll
    RV-360-9543a
     
  12. Provenance report 17, Kris with scabbard
    RV-1599-660
     
  13. Provenance report 18, Handwritten Koran
    TM-1482-1
     
  14. Provenance report 19, Panel from a grave
    RV-179-1
     
  15. Provenance report 15, Drawings of the mythical mount Buraq
    RV-1429-134 en RV-1429-134a
     
  16. Provenance report 20, State jacket of Teuku Umar
    TM-674-722
     
  17. Provenance report 21, Sword
    TM-1704-11
     
  18. Provenance report 22, Manuscript of Hikayat Makkah Madinah
    RV-163-48d
     
  19. Provenance report 23, Grave stone – Batu Aceh
    RV-3600-594
     
  20. Provenance report 24, Dagger with scabbard and lance with scabbard
    RV-761-105
    RV-761-114
     
  21. Provenance report 25, Curved sabre with scabbard
    TM-H-1669
     
  22. Provenance report 27, War jacket
    RV-300-183
     
  23. Provenance report 31, State kris from Bali
    RV-3600-193
     
  24. Provenance report 32, Krisses
    RV-3600-1892
    RV-3600-1893
    RV-3600-1894
    RV-3600-1895
     
  25. Provenance report 33, Miniature Koran
    TM-6441-1
     
  26. Provenance report 34, Cotton jacket with Arabic calligraphy
    TM-5663-18
     
  27. Provenance report 35, Insignia of the nationalist Siliwangi Division
    TM-6092-1
     
  28. Provenance report 36, Stone heads from Buddha statues
    TM-A-5945
    TM-A-5946
    TM-A-5947
    TM-A-5948
     
  29. Provenance report 41, Ancestor sculpture
    RV-2432-3
     
  30. Provenance report 42, Model of a saron (musical instrument)
    TM-H-350a
     
  31. Provenance report 43, Ceramic ointment pot
    TM-H-2285
     
  32. Provenance report 44, Stone sculpture of a Singha
    TM-1772-406
     
  33. Provenance report 45, Manuscript (Lontar)
    RV-1994-10

Final report of the project