History of National Artefacts Heritage

History of Artefacts 1: Dong Son Bell

February 14, 2009, 10 artifacts owned by the Department of Museums of Malaysia were listed on the National Heritage Register. These artifacts, categorized as Important Objects among the 173 heritage items declared as National Heritage.

One of these artifacts is Dong Son Bell. This bronze bell was found in Penchu ​​Village, Muar, Johor in 1963. It was accidentally discovered by the villagers while they were working on the land. It is believed to be from Dong Son, North Vietnam based on the same design and pattern as the other Dong Son bells. This bell that have size of 58 cm high and 32 cm in diameter is thought to have been produced around 150 AD, equivalent to the expansion of the Funan government. Some facts about the discovery of this bell are it was found about 500 meters from the banks of the Penchu ​​River, which is a tributary of the Muar River. It was found at a depth of 1 meter and the land where the bell is found is of a white sandy type of fine white mud. This artifact is being kept at the Johor Museum in the early of it’s discovery but in the 1980s, reports of the discovery of this bronze bell has come to the knowledge of the Department of Museums and Antiquities. As a result, the Department of Museums and Antiquities runs follow up research and create an experimental gallery in the open space near the home of the owner of a bronze bell. Unfortunately, the investigation failed to find any findings. This bell was gazetted as a Precious Heritage Object on April 16, 2009 with news item P.U (B) 117 and was declared a National Heritage of the Precious Objects category on November 12, 2009 with a news item P.U (A) 399 in accordance with the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645). This bell is currently on display at the National Museum and is was classified as a Collection of Ethnology. Many people not realize that only 4 ancient bronze bells were found in Malaysia. 3 of them were found in Klang Selangor and another in Kampung Penchu, Muar. Bronze bells are rarely found and so far only 10 ancient bronze bells have been found worldwide. 6 of them are found in Cambodia and 4 in Malaysia including one in Muar, Johor.

History of Artefacts 2 : Tepak Sireh

Department of museum Malaysia has both Malaysian and Southern Asia collections of artefacts. This museum is stated in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. One of the important artefacts in this museum is ‘Tepak Sireh’ and it was found in Selangor. It was made from silver, coated with the gold and decorated with some flowers and butterflies on it. This artefact has been gazetted as the National Tangible Heritage object in 2009 under National Heritage Act 2005. Tepak sireh once belonged to Sultan Abdul Samad of Selangor (1859-1880). The time period for this in AD 17^th century.

As we all know, ‘Tepak Sireh’ is one of the Malay community especially for the marriage, engagement. Also, ‘Tepak Sireh’ is one of symbolic as a way of communication which is it can be as to agree, to reject or statement of accepted. Even there are lot of the function but sometimes it was not clearly explained. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (1998) stated that ‘Tepak Sireh’ commonly found in the shapes of hexagon or octagonal, with the measurement of 8x6x10 cm and to put the betel leaves and the other ingredients in different container.

The role of tepak sireh is widely used in malay culture such as wedding and engagement. Sometimes it was also used in the royal courts. Abdul Ghani Abbas (1958) stated that tepak sireh symbolizes men because of the hard nature and represents women as well because of its softness. There is a method that we have to eat tepak sireh in order as a tradition. As a change of generation, people tend to forget the way of method or any specific regulation of tepak sireh.

Every item in tepak sireh have their own taste which the areca nuts means the man with the manly and bravery attitude as we can see the areca nut’s tree tasted while gambier and tobacco tasted bitter. Lime paste tasted more fresh served with the betel leaves. And the chalks tasted little bit spicy. After you eat this, it will reedning your entire mouth and teeth

History of Artefacts 3 : Celepa Diraja Terengganu and Pending Diraja

Celepa means a box for a cigarette or tobacco container made from metal. But, for Celepa Diraja Terengganu, it looks like a star breakdown into ten which will be seen like a flower. The surface layered with clear diamond like a flower. The surface layered with clear diamond and gold beads. Amazingly because it was owned by a sultanate, which is Sultan Zainal Abidin I, Terengganu (1725-1733) with diameter 8.8 sm from the center.

Based on the article, the National Museum of Malaysia, ‘celepa emas’ is based on the royal family at Terengganu. The creatures were designed and created by Malay people with smooth and fine art. It also was designed to look like leaves and gold flakes. The special with ‘celepa’ in the middle had a flower with the look of a bright shining red pomegranate gems and surrounded with red glass gems. It was around 18 century and it was announced as Legacy Objects are significant under the list of National Heritage in 2009.

However, ‘celepa’ also will be used to fill tobacco or sirih and it is very meaningful when someone needs to go out, and on the way of the journey, ‘celepa’ is very useful to use it. Next, it looks like the same design but it is so different which is ‘pending’. It is also one of valuable heritage among the royal family. ‘Pending’ was made from the best top ten gold by covered with eleven pomegranate gems. For the middle was symbolized for the federal government and then for the belt made from the pots of attack to the flowers with gold threads. Meanwhile, ‘pending’ was the thing that will be used during the Royal Coronation Ceremony, (Syah.T, 2012).

We also know ‘pending’ as the belt if sultan wear it during Royal Coronation. It also can be seen when it is suited with ‘Mess Kit’ or ‘Muscat’ which will be worn by the king or sultan. Since 1957, there have been two versions for ‘Pending Diraja’. It started when His Majesty’s series was the first to the 7th general, used the ‘Pending’ with the big size. On the coronation for His Majesty’s Series 8th general, Sultan Iskandar, wore it in small size until nowadays (A.I.L, 2019)

History of Artefacts 4 : The Statue of Avalokitesvara

Avalokitesvara is the name of the Buddhist sculpture that was found in the sphere of Srivijayan political influence. Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the grace of all Buddhist. This bodhisattva is variably illustrating, described and is portrayed in various cultures as either in female or male appearance. The statue of Avalokitesvara was found in 1936 at Bidor, Perak, in a tin mine that belong to Anglo Oriental. The statue was made of bronze. Its weight is 63 kilograms and 0.93-meter height. It has 8 arms but one of it was already broken when it was found. The figure may also have only an additional two of the stated implements, with the two other arms possibly in varadamudrā and vitarka-mudrā, just like in the late eighth-century of south eastern Sumatra Avalokitesvara bronze statue.

The name of the sculpture was originated from the Buddhist understanding of the role of Bodhisattva. The sculpture has a unique symbol which is there are tiger skin with its head. Avalokitesvara with the tiger symbol images with 6 to eight arms represent the images of Amoghapasa Avalokitesvara. According to Nik (as stated by A. Getty in The God of Northern Buddhism), the Amoghapasa was the tantric appearance of the Avalokitesvara either with or without wearing the tiger skin. In all the Buddhist countries, Amoghapasa is very well known from the Srivijayan area, Java and Tibet, on the present knowledge have tiger symbol represented on them. Mahayana Buddhism relates Avalokitesvara to the six-syllable mantra oṃ maṇi padme huṃ. Thus, Sadaksari, one form of Avalokitesvara which means ‘The Lord of the Six-syllable’ is associated with this mantra in Tibetan Buddhism.

There were number of archaeological proof to confirm the existence of the Siva images with the symbol of tiger. “Many of them were discovered in java. Furthermore, the cult of Siva was a popular cult in terms of identifying kingships with gods. Siva was the most popular god in South-cast Asia besides Avalokitesvara” (Nik, 1977).