Forgotten Islands of Indonesia: The Art & Culture of the Southeast Moluccas

By Nico De Jonge and Joss van Dijk

This beautiful book contains fascinating text and over 170 unique photographs of one of the most interesting but least well known cultures in the Indonesian Archipelago.

The traditional art of Maluku Tenggara, the Southeast Moluccas, is among the most sophisticated and expressive in the world. Simple tools were used to create masterpieces in wood, stone, textiles and precious metals, while the plaited work and earthenware of these islands are also of the very highest quality.

the colonial period plunged the region into hopeless isolation. During the harsh rule of the Dutch many traditional woks of art, especially ancestor statues, were destroyed. Later, collectors stripped the islands of their masterpieces and the culture of Maluka Tenggara was forgotten.

Forgotten Islands of Indonesia presents a unique survey of the finest examples of Southeast Moluccan art. This volume contains many photographs and descriptions which have never before been published. Set against the cultural background and supplemented by rare photographs taken in the field, the material culture of Maluku Tenggara, which is regarded as one of the most fascinating areas of Indonesia, is presented here comprehensively for the first time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Periplus Editions
• Release date: Oct 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781462909469

Book preview

Forgotten Islands

of Indonesia

To Mgr. Andre P.C. Sol msc

Forgotten Islands

of Indonesia

The Art & Culture of

the Southeast Moluccas

Nico de Jonge & Toos van Dijk

This book is published in conjunction with the exhibition of Forgotten Islands

in the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden, The Netherlands.

PERIPLUS

EDITIONS

© 1995 Periplus Editions (HK) and the authors

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nothing in this work can be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission of the publisher and the authors.

Printed in Singapore

ISBN: 978-1-4629-0946-9 (ebook)

PUBLISHER: Eric Oey

EDITORS: Martijn de Rooi, Thomas G. Oey, Berenice B. Oey

DESIGN: Allard de Rooi

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ben Grishaaver, Ave, Leiden

PRODUCTION: Allard de Rooi, T.C. Su, Teresa Tan, Mary Chia

ILLUSTRATION CREDITS

All photographs are made by Ben Grishaaver, with the assistance of Cees van de Wilk, with the exception of: Akerboom, N. msc Photograph 5.4. Dennis Anderson: Photograph 7.5. Archives MLV: Photograph 4.27. Archives Mgr. AP.C. Sol msc: Photographs 1.3, 7.13, 9.4, 9.6. Burger (1923): Photograph 6.7. Toos van Dijk and Wim Wolters: pages 11, 13, 14 and Photographs 2.4, 2.6, 7.14, 8.11, 8.12, 10.3. Drabbe, P. msc: Photographs 5.3, 5.13, 5.16, 6.2, 6.21, 7.9, 8.17. Egging, A. msc: Photographs 6.13, 6.14, 9.2, 9.3. Eigen Haard (1907): Photographs 2.8, 2.9. Geurtjens, P.H.: Photographs 5.9, 6.11. Heekeren, H.R van, The Bronze-Iron Age of Indonesia (1958): Photograph 1.5. Hoop, AN.J. Th. a Th. van der, Indonesische Siermotieven (1949): Photograph 1.4. Indonesië Reisbibliotheek, Maluku (Periplus Editions, 1990): Photographs 22, 2.3. Jasper and Pirngadie (1912): Photograph 8.8. Jeanson, Br. msc Photograph 6.5. Nico de Jonge: Photographs 1.1, 2.5, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 7.4, 7.7, 7.8, 10.2. Scott McCue: Photographs 7.2, 7.3. Merton H. (1910): Photographs 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 6.3, 6.6 and Figure 5.4. Kal Muller pages 10, 12 and Photographs 5.14, 5.15. Müller-Wismar, W.: page 2 and Photographs 3.5, 3.6, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, 4.22, 7.12, 8.6, 8.9, 10.4. Riedel (1886): Photograph 2.1 and symbol Chapter II. Hans Visser: Photograph 2.7. Ien de Vries: page 15.

The figures are made by: Peter Homan: Figures 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1 (source: Horridge 1978), 5.2 (source: Mckinnon 1991), 5.3 (source: Barraud 1979), 5.4 (source: Merton 1910), 5.5, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 (source: Bühler 1943). Mechtild Paauwe: Figure 5.6 (source: Geurtjens 1910).

ABBREVIATIONS OF COLLECTIONS

RMV: Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden, the Netherlands. RJM: Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum für Völkerkunde, Cologne, Germany. TM: Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, MLV: Museum voor Land-en Volkenkunde, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. MV-N: Museum voor Volkenkunde, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. MV-w: Museum fur Völkerkunde, Vienna, Austria, MNK Museum Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. PC: Private Collection.

Page l. Ancestor statues from Babar, probably representing a mother and child Height 15 cm; length 22 cm (RJM). Pages 2 and 3. Statue of the heavenly deity Lamiaha, in former times situated in the ritual centre of the village of Emroing on Babar. In 1913 the German ethnlogist W. Müller-Wismar collected the statue. Before removing Lamiaha, Müller-Wismar photographed the deity's image in the original setting. Height 212 cm (RJM). Page 4. Ancestor statue from Leti. Height 26 cm; length 31 cm (RJM).

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Every western scientific researcher travelling to Indonesia for research in Maluku Tenggara during the past decades, sooner or later encountered Andre P. C. Sol, who was bishop of the diocese of Amboina from February 1964 until October 1994.

In Keuskupan Amboina, the episcopal residence, one was not only warmly welcomed, but also informed about the most recent developments in the region and provided with all kinds of practical tips and especially encouraging words, before journeying on to the far, isolated island world. Andre Sol was more or less the gatekeeper of the Southeast Moluccas.

When we stayed in Ambon in the early 1980s in connection with our anthropological fieldwork on the Babar archipelago, we also had the pleasure of being accompanied by him. He casually expressed the wish that the cultures of Maluku Tenggara which, according to him, had been insufficiently investigated, would once get the attention they deserved, in the shape of a specific publication. It appeared to be one of his heart's desires. In 1987, during our next visit to the Moluccas, he once again brought the subject up for discussion and the plan was born to write a book about the region.

At the beginning of the 1990s this plan began to take concrete shape. In order to enable publication Andre Sol opened up all kinds of sources, both in the informative and the financial fields. At the same time we extended our research to the entire region of Maluku Tenggara and directed ourselves to the material culture, which seemed to be the best starting point for a description of the Southeast Moluccan peoples.

The result of the joint efforts is now at hand. Hopefully this book will contribute to more knowledge of the cultures of Maluku Tenggara in a wide reading public. For it does, after all, concern a region that has produced objects which can be counted among the most fascinating cultural manifestations of Indonesia.

Toos van Dijk and Nico de Jonge

Deventer/Alkmaar, the Netherlands, July 1995

INTRODUCTION

MALUKU TENGGARA: THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS

Maluku Tenggara, the Southeast Moluccas, is the name of a chain of islands in the east of Indonesia which stretch in a gentle arc over a distance of almost a thousand kilometres between Timor and New Guinea. The islands he between the easterly longitudes of 125° 45' and 135° 10' and the southerly latitudes of 5" and 8°30' and have a total land surface area of 25,000 square kilometres. Administratively, the region is part of the province of Maluku, which consists of three districts (kabupaten); from south to north, Maluku Tenggara, Maluku Tengah (Central Moluccas) and Maluku Utara (North Moluccas).

Maluku Tenggara is a sparsely-populated, isolated area and in many respects it lies on the periphery of the Indonesian archipelago. It has 288,248 inhabitants (1990), which amounts to a population density of less than twelve inhabitants per square kilometre. Large parts of the region are very difficult to reach, notwithstanding improvements in the infrastructure in recent years. Only the eastern islands have airline links with the outside world (Ambon). The western islands can only be reached by boat and only then with difficulty.

Tourists seldom visit the area. It lies far from the beaten tourist paths. The only Westerners to have visited the islands for long periods of time during this century have been Dutch administrators and military personnel, scientists from all over the world and missionaries of various persuasions. In the last two decades western Maluku Tenggara has been practically cut off for long periods from the outside world as a result of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975 and the war which followed.

The isolation of Maluku Tenggara, however, is just as much an inheritance of Dutch involvement in the islands. Before the arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century, the Southeast Moluccans had lively trading links with places both inside and outside the region. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) put a violent end to that with disastrous consequences for the local economy. Despite a relaxation of the restrictive regulations during the latter period of colonial rule, the economy did not recover, nor were there improvements in external relations.

In fact, with the departure of the Dutch contact between the remote region and the outside world was reduced to almost nothing. Becoming part of the Republic of Indonesia, the government of which is situated in faraway Jakarta, did not substantially change the isolation of the forgotten islands.

A tiny part of Maluku Tenggara: a coral island in the Banda Sea.

Disappearance of Cultural Objects

The Dutch presence in Maluku Tenggara also had far-reaching consequences in the cultural field. The pacification of the area and the introduction of Christianity at the beginning of this century went hand in hand with— among other things—forced resettlement of complete village communities and the suppression of the important cult of ancestor worship.

The collective exertions of the government and Christian missionaries had disastrous consequences for the traditional material culture. It was the Protestant missionaries, in particular, who proved to be fanatical in the destruction of ancestor statues. Those which survived were appropriated by art collectors, among them both Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries. Payment sometimes consisted of expensive goods such as axes or a priest's robe, but often nothing more than, for example, a little tobacco. These exchanges did not always enjoy the full endorsement of the population and were sometimes concluded under coercion.

Later this century, collectors came across other cultural manifestations which, like the wood carvings, were evidence of a unique artistic, appreciation. This particularly concerned the products of sophisticated goldsmiths and the rich weaving tradition of Maluku Tenggara which, in addition to the wooden statues, became highly-desired collectors' items. Even sacred heirlooms which, thanks to their ancestral powers, protected their owners from calamity and which traditionally only left the house in an exchange of gifts between families, found new owners. Though the export of such pieces is now forbidden, poverty still forces families to sell them.

Within the space of a century the population of Maluku Tenggara was robbed of a significant part of its cultural heritage. Nowadays, a great number of unique cultural objects can only be admired in museums and in private collections. In general, these are regarded as among the most fascinating to have come out of Indonesia. They are unknown, however, to a wider public, because an exhibition or a published work specifically directed at the culture of Maluku Tenggara has until now never been realized. In this respect, too, one can rightly speak of the forgotten islands.

The Content and Arrangement of this Book

The void has now been filled by this book and by the special exhibition of the same name which opened in October, 1995 in the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden in the Netherlands. The book is divided into three parts and offers a survey and description of the traditional culture of Maluku Tenggara. In addition to the objects which have almost wholly disappeared in the region itself, such as ancestor statues and jewellery, attention is paid to the products of the weaving, plaiting and pottery-making traditions which have always flourished in the islands.

In the descriptions, the traditional significance of the objects within the Southeast Moluccan culture is dwelt upon comprehensively, as far as possible, the pieces are set in their cultural context. Boat symbolism, which permeates practically all southeastern Moluccan cultures, and ancestor worship, which is at the heart of the traditional religions, function as important frameworks. The discussions of these, brought together in Part II, form the core of the book. In order to do justice to local differences, a distinction is made between the eastern and western islands. The cultures of the islands between Timor and Tanimbar, for example, were characterized by a great fertility ritual which did not take place in eastern Maluku Tenggara. Moreover, in order to measure the richness of the island cultures as broadly as possible, a separate line of approach is followed for each region. A thematic approach has been chosen for the western islands, while a more geographical oriented approach has been followed for the eastern islands.

In treating boat symbolism and ancestor worship, conceptual dichotomies come continually to the fore. Heaven and earth, sea and land, man and woman, hotness and coolness, represent poles whose coming together is thought to be of essential importance to the functioning of man, society and the cosmos. In Part III, this dualistic way of thinking is expressed succinctly in the discussion of jewellery, textiles, earthenware and plaited objects.

The descriptive parts are preceded by a historical sketch of Maluku Tenggara (Part I) in which attention is devoted to both the prehistoric, as well as the more recent, past.

The coastline of the island of Marsela, Babar archipelago.

THE LAND AND ITS INHABITANTS

Administrative Divisions

Maluku Tenggara consists of a number of separate groups of islands. The biggest of these are the Aru, Tanimbar and the Kei archipelagos, all lying in eastern Maluku Tenggara. Under Dutch administration these three groups of islands were known collectively as the Southeast Islands; the other islands were known as the Southwest Islands. These names refer to the position of the islands with respect to the island of Banda (Central Moluccas), which at that time was of great economic importance. The distinction made between eastern and western Maluku Tenggara in this book corresponds to the original administrative dividing line.

Nowadays the district of Maluku Tenggara is divided into eight sub-districts (kecamatan). Five of these— Pulau-pulau Aru (Aru islands), Kai Besar (Greater Kei), Kai Kecil (Lesser Kei), Tanimbar Utara (North Tanimbar) and Tanimbar Selatan (South Tanimbar)— lie in eastern Maluku Tenggara. Pulau-pulau Babar (Babar islands), Kepulauan Leti (Leti archipelago) and Pulau-pulau Terselatan (the Southern Islands) lie in western Maluku Tenggara. Tual, in the Kei islands, is the capital of the Maluku Tenggara district.

Administratively speaking, the islands of Teun, Nila and Serua belong to the district of Maluku Tengah (Central Moluccas) but because of their great cultural similarities with the more southerly islands, in this book they are regarded as being part of the southeastern Moluccas.

Natural Conditions

The landscape of Maluku Tenggara is extremely varied. Some islands are mountainous, with peaks of 400 metres on Wetar, 650 metres on Moa and 868 metres on Damer. Others, such as the Aru islands, the highest point of which is only 70 metres above sea level, are fairly flat. Green, forested islands lie close to bare rock formations. Rugged, rocky coastlines, plunging steeply into the sea, contrast with beautiful white sandy beaches. A savannah-like landscape, featuring here and there tall Mi-palms (Borassus sundaicus) is characteristic of the interior of most of the islands. Kayuputih-forests (Melaleuca Leucadendron L) also appear. The coral-rich coasts are girdled with coconut palms (Cocus nucifera).

The Kei islands, paradise on earth.

Geologically speaking, two types of island, corresponding with the same number of island arcs, can be distinguished. What is known as the Outer Banda arc stretches from the Leti archipelago in a northeasterly direction through Luang, Sermata, the Babar, Tanimbar and Kei islands and then runs in a northwesterly direction through to Seram (Central Moluccas). The islands in this arc consist of coral and are dry and fairly infertile. Fossilized shells can be found on the high coral rocks, which indicates that these are areas of geological upheaval. The highly-remarkable, layered terraced forms found on some of the islands were created by successive upheavals.

Many smaller islands in this arc are largely deforested and have a dry, almost parched aspect. The alang-alang (Imperata arundinaced) which covers the ground colours the landscape almost red during the dry season. The larger islands are more richly forested and have more water. The sago palm (Metroxylon rumphii) can also grow in these islands.

The Aru islands lying to the east of the Outer-Banda arc also consist of elevated coral but are very different in appearance to the other eastern islands of Maluku Tenggara. Their vegetation consists of mangrove swamps and palm forests. The six main islands—unique in the world— are separated from each other by long, narrow straits.

A smaller, more westerly-lying series of islands forms the Inner-Banda arc. This runs from Wetar through Roma, Damer, Teun and Nila to Serua, and then northwards through Banda (Central Moluccas). The islands in this arc are of volcanic rocks and in most of them the soil is much more fertile than it is in the coral islands. The earth under Teun, Nila and Serua is still moving and in 1978, the government considered it necessary to move the population of these islands to Seram (Central Moluccas).

The flora and fauna of Maluku Tenggara, like the whole of Maluku, form a transitional zone between Southeast Asia and Australasia. It is for this reason that scientists have long felt drawn to this part of Indonesia. The fauna of the Aru archipelago is particularly unusual. The presence of the kangaroo, the bird of paradise and the cassowary in these eastern islands is evidence of their close affinity with New Guinea. In contrast, the fauna of, for example, the western island of Wetar, shows clear Asian characteristics, although the large mammals of West Indonesia do not live here.

The climate of the region is dominated by the monsoons, whose season and direction is determined by the position of the continents of Asia and Australia. The powerful westerly monsoon blows from December to April and this may bring severe storms, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. After a short transitional period the second rainy season, in which the less powerful easterly monsoon blows, follows from April or May until August The hot, dry season begins in August and lasts until November. Following a second transitional period, the rains of the westerly monsoon break again in December.

The Economy

Maluku Tenggara is a fairly poor region with limited economic opportunities. The population exists largely by agriculture and fishing. In addition, goods are exchanged with inhabitants of other islands.

The population is very dependent on climactic circumstances in all its economic activities. In agriculture, the main food crop is generally planted twice a year—just before the westerly and easterly monsoons. On most islands this is maize. On Aru and Damer sago is the principal foodstuff. The staple that is supplemented by rice, sorghum, root vegetables and pulses and small quantities of green vegetables and fruit.

Failure of the harvest is not an unusual phenomenon on the small, dry, eroded coral islands. Hunger is an almost annual occurrence. The inhabitants of the more fertile islands exchange food for goods such as homemade plaited work. Rice is also obtained from Chinese traders, but money is required for this. Money is obtained by selling copra, shells and other products of the sea to Chinese shopkeepers. Old and new homemade textiles are also offered for sale. Money can also be earned by pearl diving around the Aru islands and by working on Ambon and Seram (Central Moluccas).

The sea always yields a great deal, although the catch is also dependent on the seasons. During the easterly monsoon, for example, a village on the east side of an island cannot harvest much from its fishing grounds.

February and March is the mating season of a little seaworm (Polychaeta). On certain nights coastdwellers trek with torches and lamps to the reef, where the surface of the water is covered with these little creatures. Bucketfuls are scooped out of the water with nets and then eaten roasted or fried.

During the hot season, the fish harvest is a celebration! The wind has died away and sometimes the reef is almost completely dry. The women and children spear fish and collect shells. The men, as elsewhere, set their bamboo fish traps out in deeper water and fish from their canoes. Sometimes a large sea animal is caught—a dugong (sea cow) or a turtle, sometimes even a whale.

In