Sarawak State Museum

The Sarawak Museum was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and modeled on a town hall in Normandy.

The Sarawak State Museum is the oldest museum in Borneo. It was established in 1888 and opened in 1891 in a purpose-built building in Kuching, Sarawak. Sponsored by Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak, the establishment of the museum was strongly encouraged by Alfred Russel Wallace.

History

The Sarawak Museum was built in 1891 and was extended to its present form in 1911. The building was especially built to permanently house and display local native arts and crafts and collections of local animals as mainly encouraged by the famous naturalist, Alfred Wallace, who was then collecting specimens in the state.

During the Japanese Occupation, the museum was put under the direction of a sympathetic Japanese Officer. As a result, the museum suffered very little damage and remarkably little looting.

Today, with carefully planned renovation and proper maintenance, this old building is used as the centre to exhibit collections on the natural history of Sarawak.

Architecture

Since its inception, the building has undergone several renovations and alterations. It is rectangular, 44’ × 160’ with walls and pillars of bricks and roof of belian and concrete. It has European architecture of imposing edifice in Queen Anne style (Victorian period). The galleries are lighted by dormer windows on the roof which thus allow a great area of wall space.

Layout

The ground floor of the museum holds the natural history collection and specimens of Sarawak fauna — reptiles, mammals, birds, etc., all expertly prepared and mounted for display. The west wing of the museum houses Shell exhibition — petroleum industries of Sarawak.

The first floor displays exhibits of ethnographic artifacts such as models of longhouses of the various ethnic groups in Sarawak, musical instruments, various kinds of fish and animal traps, handicrafts, models of boats and others.

Museum Journal

The Sarawak Museum Journal is the journal of the Sarawak Museum. It was first published in 1911, with John Moulton the inaugural editor, making it one of the oldest scientific journals of the South-East Asian region. Topics covered include the history, natural history and ethnology of the island of Borneo.

List of curators

• E.A. Lewis — Pro tem Curator acting from 25 June 1888 – 1902
• Dr George Darby Haviland — Curator, 26 February 1891 – 1 March 1893
• Edward Bartlett — Curator, 1 March 1893 – 22 July 1897
• Robert Walter Campbell Shelford — Curator, 22 July 1897 – 2 February 1905
• John Hewitt — Curator, 2 February 1905 – Nov 1908
• John Coney Moulton — Curator, November 1908 – 22 January 1915
• Mr Erman & Mr K. H. Gillan — Officers in charge, 22 January 1915 – May 1922
• Dr Eric Georg Mjöberg — Curator, May 1922 – 19 December 1924
• Gerard T.M. MacBryan — Acting Curator, 20 Dec 1924 – 24 January 1925
• Edward Banks — Curator, 20 February 1925 – 1945 (1942–1945 interned)
• Tom Harrisson — Curator, June 1947 – November 1966
• Benedict Sandin — Curator, December 1966 – March 1974
• Lucas Chin — Director, 1 April 1974 – December 1991
• Dr Peter M. Kedit – Director, December 1991 – April 1996
• Sanib Said — Director, May 1997 - December 2008
• Ipoi Datan - Director, January 2009 - Present

Literature

• Lenzi, Iola (2004). Museums of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Archipelago Press. p. 200 pages. ISBN 981-4068-96-9. 

References

• Sarawak Museum curators. Accessed 17 January 2007

External links

• Sarawak Museums
• Sarawak Museum Journal
• All Malaysia.info | Sarawak State Museum