Netherlands to return 20 Indonesian artefacts, including 38-carat diamond
The Dutch government expects to hand over the objects in early 2027 after research found their former owners had lost them involuntarily.
Indonesia is set to receive 20 cultural objects from the Netherlands, among them the 38-carat Banjarmasin Diamond seized during Dutch colonial rule. The Dutch government expects the handover to take place in early 2027, with preparations for the physical transfer still required.
Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon and Dutch Education, Culture and Science Minister Rianne Letschert signed the return agreement at Indonesia House in Amsterdam, according to NL Times. The decision followed recommendations from the Colonial Collections Committee.
The Dutch government said provenance research had established that all the objects covered by the agreement had been taken from previous owners involuntarily. Letschert described their return as a contribution to addressing historical injustice.
According to the Rijksmuseum, the diamond belonged to Panembahan Adam, Sultan of Banjarmasin in Kalimantan. Following his death, the Dutch intervened in a succession dispute. Dutch forces seized control of Banjarmasin in 1859 and abolished the sultanate. The uncut stone was sent to the Netherlands and fashioned into a rectangular diamond weighing 38 carats.
Wereldmuseum manages 18 of the objects due for return, while the other two belong to the Rijksmuseum collection. They include a handwritten Quran formerly owned by Acehnese resistance figure Teuku Umar and an Acehnese sword known as a Sikin Panjang.
Also covered are four manuscripts from the Aceh Sultanate, six wayang beber scrolls from Java, a historic tomb panel and Batu Aceh gravestones bearing Arabic calligraphy. Preparations for their return include documentation, packing and transport arrangements.
