Fadli Zon Receives 47 Arca Grant From Hardjonagoro's Panembahan Collection

Fadli Zon received the statue grant. (IST)

The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, received a 47-arca historic grant from the Panembahan Hardjonagoro (Go Tik Swan) family during the handover event which took place at Ndalem Hardjonegaran, Surakarta.

The statues reflect the cultural heritage of the archipelago, which will be brought to the Ministry of Culture to be conserved and exhibited in public.

This grant is a form of the love of the late Panembahan Hardjonagoro for the nation's culture. We really appreciate his family for their trust in the country to safeguard and glorify these artifacts as part of our cultural identity," said Fadli Zon in his remarks.

The statues include a number of rare masterpieces, such as a pair of Arca Garudea, Arca Resi Agastya, two Arca Durga, one large Buddha statue, and Arca Bima which is more than two meters tall.

The existence of this collection, which is a relic of the 8th to 14th century AD, will certainly strengthen the narrative of Indonesian cultural history.

Go Tik Swan, commonly known as KRT Hardjonagoro, later earned the title Panembahan Ageng, is an artist, collector, and cultural conservation that has been dedicated to collecting and preserving historical objects, including various keris, paintings and statues. Dozens of statues handed over this time are collections collected by K.R.T. Hardjonagoro from 1950 to 1980. In 1985, he had donated some of his collections to the country as a form of his love for the nation's traditions and history.

"This heritage is a witness to the glory of the archipelago civilization. With the showcase of these statues at the Ministry of Culture, we hope to inspire the community, especially the younger generation, to understand and love Indonesian culture more," added Fadli.

This handover event took place solemnly with traditional Javanese nuances, starting with an employee, and symbolic handover of Arca Nandi from the heirs, K.R.A H. Suwarno Hardjonagara to the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon.