Description of the attraction
The Museum of Art and Ceramics is located in the eastern part of Fatahillah Square, close to the History Museum and the Wayang Museum. The exposition of the museum is dedicated to the traditional art of Indonesia, as well as Indonesian ceramics.
The building that houses the museum was built in 1870. Initially, the building housed a court; during the Japanese occupation, the building was used by the army. And after Indonesia became independent, the building served as a hostel for the Indonesian military. In addition, there was a warehouse for a logistics company in the building. In 1967, the building housed the City Council of West Jakarta, a city within the Jakarta Special Capital District. In 1974, the building was given over to the office of a scientific organization. The Museum of Arts and Ceramics itself settled in this building in 1976; in August of that year, the museum was inaugurated by the President of Indonesia, Haji Suharto.
The collection of the museum will tell visitors about the traditional crafts for Indonesia. Among the exhibits are paintings by Indonesian artists such as the romantic Raden Saleh and the expressionist Affandi. Important periods in the visual arts of Indonesia can be seen in different halls of the museum: the hall of the Raden Saleh era (1880-1890), the Hindiya Jelit hall (1920s), the hall of the birth of realism (1950s), the modern art hall (1960s years) and others. The museum also houses a collection of antique porcelain - the most valuable vases date back to the 16th century. Visitors can view pottery brought from different parts of Indonesia, as well as China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Europe.
The museum has a ceramics workshop, where everyone, with the help of the workshop staff, can try to make any ceramic product on their own.
