Mengenal Bali dari Museum Tertua

25 October 2023 | Destination

Museum Bali merupakan museum tertua di Pulau Dewata. Museum yang berlokasi di Jalan Mayor Wisnu ini dibangun pertama kali pada 1910 di atas lahan seluas enam ribu meter per segi.

Tempat terbaik belajar tentang Bali ini menyimpan peninggalan masa lampau manusia dan koleksi benda-benda etnografi, seperti peralatan dan perlengkapan hidup, kesenian, keagamaan, bahasa, tulisan, dan lainnya yang mencerminkan kehidupan serta perkembangan kebudayaan Bali.

Pendirian Museum Bali berawal dari keprihatinan seorang asisten residen Belanda untuk Bali Selatan, WFJ Kroon pada 1910. Setelah kemenangan Belanda pada Perang Puputan, banyak barang-barang antik Bali dibawa ke Belanda. Kroon mengutus seorang arsitek Jerman, Curt Grundler dan dua undagi Bali, I Gusti Ketut Rai dan I Gusti Ketut Gede Kandel untuk mendesain gedung Museum Bali.

Gedung Museum Bali memadukan desain pura dan puri. Desain pura dituangkan ke dalam atap bangunan berbahan ijuk dan bale kulkul. Desain puri dituangkan dengan keberadaan bale bengong dan taman beji.

Rencana pembangunan ini didukung seluruh raja di Bali, mulai dari Raja Karangasem, Raja Buleleng, Raja Tabanan, Raja Bangli, Raja Negara, dan Raja Badung. Museum yang menjadi jendela Bali ini pun resmi dibuka 8 Desember 1932.

Seluruh koleksi di dalam museum ditata menurut konsep Tri Mandala, yaitu Utama Mandala, Madya Mandala, dan Nista Mandala. Benda-benda tergolong sakral ditata di Gedung Tabanan dan Gedung Karangasem. Penamaan gedung adalah asal raja yang memberi bantuan.

Tema pameran di Gedung Karangasem adalah cili, lambang kesuburan dan kesejahteraan. Tema pameran di Gedung Tabanan adalah kris, yang identik dengan pusaka raja. Kris ini ditata secara kronologis, yaitu koleksi kris sejak zaman Belanda sampai sekarang.

Benda-benda tergolong tidak sakral, seperti kain-kain tradisional Bali, lukisan, patung, dan kerajinan tangan diletakkan di Gedung Buleleng. Tema pameran di gedung ini adalah uang kepeng atau pis bolong.

Buleleng menjadi daerah pertama di Bali yang berhubungan luar dengan orang-orang Cina. Buleleng juga daerah perekonomian pertama di Bali. Bermacam uang kepeng sejak zaman Majapahit, Banten, Palembang, dan Cina abad delapan dan sembilan masehi bisa dilihat di sini.

Koleksi yang berhubungan dengan peninggalan prasejarah, seperti peti mayat terbuat dari batu atau sarkafogus, stupika ditata di Gedung Timur. Tema pameran di gedung ini berkisah tentang puncak budaya Bali sejak zaman prasejarah hingga zaman modern.

Museum Bali menjadi bagian dari Wisata Kota (City Tour) Denpasar. Museum ini sangat mudah ditemukan sebab berada di jantung kota Denpasar, tepatnya sebelah utara Pura Jagatnatha.

Koleksi dalam Museum Bali dibagi ke dalam koleksi arkeologika, historika, seni rupa, etnografika, biologika, numismatika, fisiologika, keramologika, dan teknologika.

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The Museum Bali is the oldest museum on the Island of the Gods, Bali. Located on Jalan Mayor Wisnu, it was first built in 1910 on a six-thousand-square-meter land. This place serves as the best introduction to the island of Bali, preserving historical artifacts and a collection of ethnographic items, including tools, daily necessities, arts, religion, language, scripts, and more, reflecting the life and cultural development of Bali.

The establishment of the Museum Bali began with the concerns of a Dutch assistant resident for South Bali, WFJ Kroon, in 1910. Following the victory of the Dutch in the Puputan War, many antique Balinese items were taken to the Netherlands. Kroon then sent a German architect, Curt Grundler, and two Balinese undagi, I Gusti Ketut Rai, and I Gusti Ketut Gede Kandel, to design the Museum Bali building.

The Museum Bali building combines the design elements of a pura (Hindu temple) and a puri (palace). The design of the pura is incorporated into the thatched roof and bale kulkul structure. The puri design is represented by the bale bengong and taman beji (sacred pond garden).

The construction plan received support from all the kings of Bali, including the Kings of Karangasem, Buleleng, Tabanan, Bangli, Negara, and Badung. This window to Bali, the Museum, was officially opened on December 8, 1932.

The entire collection inside the museum is organized according to the concept of Tri Mandala, consisting of the Utama Mandala, Madya Mandala, and Nista Mandala. Sacred objects are displayed in the Tabanan Building and the Karangasem Building, named after the kings who provided support.

The exhibition theme in the Karangasem Building revolves around cili, symbolizing fertility and prosperity, while the Tabanan Building showcases kris, which is closely associated with royal heirlooms. The kris collection is displayed chronologically, from the Dutch era to the present.

Non-sacred items such as traditional Balinese textiles, paintings, sculptures, and handicrafts are placed in the Buleleng Building. The exhibition theme in this building focuses on kepeng coins or pis bolong.

Buleleng was the first region in Bali to have external relations with the Chinese. It was also the island's first economic region. Various kepeng coins from the Majapahit, Banten, Palembang, and 8th-9th-century Chinese eras can be seen here.

Collections related to prehistoric relics, such as stone coffins and stupikas, are arranged in the East Building. The exhibition theme in this building narrates the peak of Balinese culture from prehistoric times to modern times.

The Museum Bali is part of the Denpasar City Tour. It is easily accessible as it is located in the heart of Denpasar, just north of the Jagatnatha Temple.

The collections in the Museum Bali are divided into archaeological, historical, fine arts, ethnographic, biological, numismatic, physiological, ceramic, and technological collections.