The Netherlands announced on Thursday its decision to return hundreds of colonial-era works to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, including a jewel-encrusted bronze hoard and cannon.
The choice to return 478 objects follows recommendations from a “Colonial Collections Commission” appointed last year by the government to investigate illegal Dutch acquisitions during the colonial era, now on display in museums around the The Netherlands. “The restitution process is in full swing,” the government said in a statement Thursday. “This is a historic moment. This is the first time that, on the advice of the Colonial Collections Commission, objects that should never have been in the Netherlands have been returned,” said Gunu Uslay, Dutch State Secretary for Culture. .
The commission was set up after Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, wanted to recover eight works of art and natural history collections.
Claimed by the archipelago, the “Treasure of Lombok”, consisting of hundreds of gold and silver objects, is on the list of works that the Dutch government says it wants to return. The “treasure of Lombok” was looted in 1894 by the Dutch East Indies colonial army during the Lombok War, says the commission’s report, published in May, which is devoted to it.
The 18th century “Lewke’s cannon” is said to have been a gift from a Sri Lankan aristocrat, Lewke Disava, to the King of Kandy around 1745-1746. The cannon “in all likelihood” became spoils of war in 1765 after a Dutch siege and the destruction of the Temple of Kandy in central Sri Lanka. After being exhibited in the Netherlands, the cannon was eventually included in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits said “the return is a positive step in cooperation with Sri Lanka.” In recent years, the colonial heritage of the Netherlands has been at the center of many discussions. On Saturday, Dutch King Willem-Alexander issued his official apology for his country’s and his dynasty’s involvement in slavery, saying he was “personally and extremely” touched.
