Symbolic Meaning of the Exterior Decorations

The Main Gate
Siwalima Museum is located at the hill of Taman Makmur, some hundred meters above sea-level. from afar, people can see its main gate, where both sides are adored with 2 guardian statues. right above the gte are 7 arrows pointed towards the sky; symbolizing the crystalization of siwa and lima (9+5=14:2=7).

Garden Statues of Siwalima Museum

Garden Statues

At the center one can see a group of garden statues consisting of a "kowalwaan" (spinning wheel), a "babal" (drum) and a "lirena" (sacred house pillar). The kowalwaan signify that the art and technique of weaving, as a home industry, has been well known for centuries. The babal, besides a music instrument, also functions as a medium of communication and information. Lirena contains an important meaning in the socio-cultural and religious life of the Maluku man. The main house pillar is the most important structure to support and strengthen a house; architectually and spiritually seen. That's why the making of such a pillar must follow certain rules based on traditional-religious concepts.
The enlarged spinning wheel symbolizes traditional weaving industry. The patterns and colors of the weaving are of high value of natural indigenous art.
On the other hand, the combination of Babal, Lirena and KOwalwaan represents a vertical relationship between man and his creator and a horizontally relation between man and his natural environment.

The Ethnographic Exhibition Hall
The display system of the ethnographic exhibition hall is not based on geographical conditionas of Maluku but on groups of types of collections. Furthermore, these collections are displayed in a story-telling system; a story about man, nature and his culture. And that became the theme of this exhibition Man, Nature and Culture.
Our story will start with the happenings of today and slowly step by step enters into the pre-historical times, even unto the space and time when God created this planet for us to live on. Reaching this point in history, our story will “flash back” passing the centuries of cave-man, developments of man’s culture until recent days.
Subjects of this exhibition are: Usu Mae Upu, houses and household tools, the Sultanate of Ternate and Tidore, dressing and traditional weaving technique, jewelry and handy craft, magic tools and weapons, food-gathering, evolution of planet earth, evolution of man and caveman, religion, music instruments, history, local pottery and foreign ceramic and numismatic materials.

THE EXHIBITION

Usu Mae Upu

Betel-nut Box

Entering the hall you’ll be greeted by “usu mae upu” (please come in Sir). This is a welcome greeting. A betel-nut box as a sign of friendship with next to it an ancestor statue, is an invitation for you to enter the world of Maluku.

A King’s sleeping room
Until today the term “radja” is still being used to address a village head. A radja is a representative person of the whole community and of it’s social and cultural aspirations. This exhibition starts its story by representing a king’s sleeping room. Because we believe that life, normally, starts in a sleeping room. The furniture here are not all local made some are from other places of Indonesia, as well as from Europe. This explains that since centuries ago Maluku had received many cultural influences which still remain until today.

The sitting room
The sitting room is filled with collections of the Dutch colonial period. But the walls are built by using “gaba-gaba” a sago palm material. Herewith we can understand that natural materials such as sago are of good quality and decorative to build modern houses.

Houses
The typical Maluku house, in miniature, shows that 90% of the building materials are of sago palm material. Formerly, the houses in Maluku were built on poles as a mean of protection against wild animals and enemies. Baileu Siwalima is the village community house. The 9 poles at the front and back and 5 at the sides represent the siwa and the lima social groups. At the other corner you can find a miniature of the “kakehang” house, where the original one is in Hila-Kaitetu, at the northern coast of Ambon island. Kakehang is a village secret organization where it’s members are only men. This organization is an element of the old religion based on “head-hunting”. In taking new members of the kakehang-ship, all boys between the age of 13 – 15 years, must attend a ceremony held in the rumah kakehang which will last for several days. In order to finish this ritual, the boys must go out head-hunting. And when they successfully return from a head-hunting raid, they will be accepted as men. Shortly, this is an “initiation ritual”. And from this time on the boy (now men) will be wearing a loin-cloth made of tree bark, especially made by the “mauweng” the village shaman.

Miniature of Wapa Uwe Mosque

Islamic influences entered Maluku around 1465. The Islam were brought by Arabian merchants. In those days Ternate (in North Maluku) was the center of commerce of East Indonesia archipelago, so the spreading point of Islam in eastern Indonesia was Ternate. Islamic influences became more and more stronger because the Sultan of Ternate became Moslem too. In not a too long period Islam spread over the colonies of Ternate including Seram and Ambon island. It is interesting to tell that since 1414 a mosque already exists in Ambon. “Mesjid Wapa Uwe”is the oldest mosque ever build in Maluku. It is now one of the most unique historical religious objects of Maluku.

House hold tools

In general, the kitchens of Maluku still have the shape of what is being represented here. The tools are also quite the same. “Lesa” is one of the oldest types of tables. It is made of plaited mid-ribs of palm leaf. A well known Ambon proverb says “kalau dapat meja putih, jangan lupa lesa”, meaning if you are educated, have a good job, live in a big city, you may not forget your lesa (adat or tradition).