It is quite difficult to define Indonesian art, since the country is immensely diverse. The sprawling archipelago nation consists of 17.000 islands. Around 922 of those permanently inhabited, by over 1,300

ethnic groups An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

, which speak more than 700 living

languages Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

. Indonesia also has experienced a long

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, with each period leaves distinctive art. From

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

cave paintings and

megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

ancestral statues of Central Sulawesi, tribal wooden carving traditions of

Toraja The Torajans are an ethnic group indigenous people, indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency of ...

and

Asmat people The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in the province of South Papua, Indonesia. The Asmat inhabit a region on the island's southwestern coast bordering the Arafura Sea, with lands totaling approximately 18,000 km2 (7,336&nb ...

, graceful Hindu-Buddhist art of classical Javanese civilization which produced

Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...

and

Prambanan Prambanan ( id, Candi Prambanan, jv, ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ, Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the P ...

, vivid Balinese paintings and

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...

s of

Aceh Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a ...

, to contemporary arts of modern Indonesian artists. Both Indonesian diversity and history add to the complexity of defining and identifying what is Indonesian art.

Visual art

Painting

Prehistoric

cave painting In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 ye ...

s were discovered in numbers of sites in Indonesia. The notable ones are those in caves of Maros Regency in

South Sulawesi South Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Selatan) is a province in the southern peninsula of Sulawesi. The Selayar Islands archipelago to the south of Sulawesi is also part of the province. The capital is Makassar. The province is bordered by Central Sul ...

, also in Sangkulirang-Mengkalihat karst formation in East Kutai and Berau Regency in

East Kalimantan East Kalimantan ( Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3 ...

. The cave paintings was estimated dated from circa 40,000 years old. Prince Raden Jaka Tingkir killing a buffalo under watch of the Sultan of Demak and his retinue

Prince Raden Jaka Tingkir killing a buffalo under watch of the Sultan of Demak and his retinue

The art of

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

is quite well-developed in

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...

, where its people are famed for their artistry. The

Balinese art Balinese art is art of Hindu-Javanese origin that grew from the work of artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, with their expansion to Bali in the late 14th century. From the sixteenth until the twentieth centuries, the village of Kamasan, Klungkung ...

paintings tradition started as classical

Kamasan Kamasan is a village on Bali, Indonesia. It is situated just to the north of Gelgel, in the Klungkung regency. Kamasan has a cultural importance on a Bali-wide level. The various 'traditional' styles of painting on modern Bali are derived from th ...

Wayang , also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...

style visual narrative, derived from East Javanese visual art discovered on East Javanese candi bas reliefs. Balinese painting tradition is notable for its highly vigorous yet refined intricate art which resembles baroque folk art with tropical themes.

Ubud Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency. Promoted as an arts and culture centre, it has developed a large tourism industry ...

and

Butuan Butuan (pronounced ), officially the City of Butuan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Butuan; Butuanon: ''Dakbayan hong Butuan''; fil, Lungsod ng Butuan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Caraga, Philippines. It is the ''de facto'' c ...

in Bali are well known for their paintings. Numbers of painter artists have settled in Bali, which in turn developed the island into a world's artists enclave. Balinese painting is also a sought-after collection or souvenir for visitors in Bali. Modern Indonesian paintings were pioneered by

Raden Saleh Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman ( ar, ; ', jv, ꦫꦢꦺꦤ꧀ꦱꦭꦺꦃꦯ꦳ꦫꦶꦥ꦳꧀ꦨꦸꦱ꧀ꦠꦩꦤ꧀; EYD: ''Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman''; 1811 – 23 April 1880) was a pioneering Indonesian Romantic painter of Arab- Javan ...

, a 19th-century Arab-Javanese painter renowned for his romantic-naturalistic work during

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...

period in Indonesia. A popular genre developed during colonial Dutch East Indies is called ''Mooi Indie'' (Dutch for "Beautiful Indies"), which mostly capture the romantic scenes of colonial Indies. Prominent Indonesian painters in 20th century includes

Basuki Abdullah Fransiskus Xaverius Basuki Abdullah (born Muhammad Basuki Abdullah, January 25, 1915 – November 5, 1993) was an Indonesian painter and a convert to Roman Catholicism from Islam. His work is characterized as realism and has been exhibited i ...

Lee Man Fong Lee Man Fong (; born November 14, 1913 – April 3, 1988) was a painter born in Guangzhou, China. His father, a merchant with ten children, brought him to Singapore. When his father died in 1930, Man Fong had to work hard to earn a living for ...

, Willem Jan Pieter van der Does,

Ida Bagus Made Ida Bagus Made Poleng (1915–1999) was a traditional Balinese painter. Known also as Ida Bagus Made Poleng or Ida Bagus Made Tebesaya or simply Gus Made. Biography He was born in Tebasaya, Ubud, Bali in 1915. Ida Bagus Made came from a Brah ...

, Dullah,

Affandi Affandi (18 May 1907 – 23 May 1990) was an Indonesian artist. Born in Cirebon, West Java, as the son of R. Koesoema, who was a surveyor at a local sugar factory, Affandi finished his upper secondary school in Jakarta. He gave up his studies to ...

, Misbach Tamrin, Amrus. File:Lukisan Cadas Kadal Kaimana.jpg, Ancient painting of

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...

, one of the oldest

cave paintings In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 y ...

in Papua,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Jaratku ziet zijn vader in de hel omdat hij nog niet getrouwd is en dus geen nakomelingen heeft TMnr 3525-44.jpg, Classic painting, depicting the story of ''Jaratku'' File:Detail of Antique Kamasan Balinese Painting.jpg, Pre-1920

Palindon Painting detail, an example of Kamasan-style classical painting File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Schilderij voorstellende rijstoogst TMnr 6102-1.jpg,

Indonesian women The roles of women in Indonesia today are being affected by many factors, including increased modernization, globalization, improved education and advances in technology. Many Indonesian women choose to reside in cities instead of staying in t ...

planting rice in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

, W.J. Tohdjiwa File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Tempelbouw TMnr 3525-40.jpg, landscape painting of rice fields and buffalo, I. Tomblos File:Mask Dancer (by A.A. Gde Anom Sukawati).jpg, Mask Dancer, A.A. Gde Anom Sukawati, Acrylic on canvas

Sculpture

Megalithic sculptures have been discovered in several sites in Indonesia. Subsequently, tribal art has flourished within the culture of

Nias Nias ( id, Pulau Nias, Nias language: ''Tanö Niha'') (sometimes called Little Sumatra in English) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago () of which the island is the centre ...

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Tob ...

, Asmat, Dayak and

. Wood and stone are common materials used as the media for sculpting among these tribes. Between the 8th to 15th century, Javanese civilization has developed a refined stone sculpting art and architecture which was influenced by Hindu-Buddhist Dharmic civilization. The celebrated example is the temples of

and

. The Shailendra reign of Medang Mataram has produced multiple temples also with its refined sculpture of Hindu and Buddhist deities. A fine example includes the Buddhas image of Borobudur with its serene expression, Vairocana flanked by Padmapani and Vajrapani in

Mendut Mendut is a ninth-century Buddhist temple, located in Mendut village, Mungkid sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is located about three kilometres east from Borobudur. Mendut, Borobudur and Pawon, all of which are ...

temple, also Hindu pantheon of Shiva Mahadewa, Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha, Durga, Agastya and Nandi in Prambanan temple compound. The

Prajnaparamita of Java Prajñāpāramitā of Java refer to a famous depiction of Bodhisattvadevi Prajñāpāramitā, originated from 13th century Singhasari, East Java, Indonesia. The statue is of great aesthetical and historical value, and is considered as the masterpi ...

is a masterpiece of Javanese classical Hindu-Buddhist art, created in 13th century

Singhasari Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...

, East Java. The art of wood carving is quite well-developed in Indonesia. Other than tribal art woodcarvings of Asmat, Dayak, Nias, and Toraja area is well known for its refined wood carving culture; they are

Jepara Jepara is a town in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. Jepara is on the north coast of Java, north-east of Semarang, not far from Mount Muria, with a population of 92,967 in mid 2019. It is also the main town of Jepara Regency, which has a ...

in Central Java, and

. Mas village near Ubud in Bali is renowned for their wood carving art. Balinese woodcarving today has a sustained tourist market in Bali. Indonesia, frammento architettonico con testa di demone, XIII-XIV sec..JPG, Architectural fragment with a demon's head; 13th-14th century;

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin ...

(USA) Clevelandart 1948.459.jpg, Triad statue taken from

Hindu temple complex; 10th century from

, Indonesia; South East Asian Art. Statue of Hanuman with a yoni (14th century), Singapore Pinacothèque De Paris - 20160410.jpg, {{en, A

Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia ...

statue of

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

with a

yoni ''Yoni'' (; sometimes also ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with '' linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of mi ...

andesite; 14th century from

, Indonesia; private American collection. Stone statue of Ganesha (a).jpg, Statue of

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

, a Hindu deity; 1275-1300;

Museum Volkenkunde The National Museum of Ethnology (Museum Volkenkunde), is an ethnographic museum in the Netherlands located in the university city of Leiden. As of 2014, the museum, along with the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Africa Museum in Berg en Dal, ...

, Leiden Stone statue of Durga.jpg, Statue of Durga Mahishasuramardini; 1275-1300;

, Leiden. Arca Narasimha.jpg,

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

statue; 12th century from

, Indonnesia; Institute for Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

Cinema

{{main, Cinema of Indonesia Cinema production in Indonesia was pioneered in 1926

film ''

Loetoeng Kasaroeng ''Loetoeng Kasaroeng'' is a 1926 fantasy film from the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) which was directed and produced by L. Heuveldorp. An adaptation of the Sundanese folktale '' Lutung Kasarung'' (''The Lost Lutung''), the film tells ...

'', a silent film which was an adaptation of the Sundanese legend. Indonesian film industry reached its peak in the 1980s before suffering a significant decline in both quality and quantity in the 1990s. In the 2000s Indonesian film began to be revived and in the 2010s it became a growing industry; in 2005 Indonesian film production numbered only 33 and in 2014 it increased to 99 films a year. In recent years Indonesian films, especially silat fighting action genre, has gained worldwide attention. Particularly after the popularity of The Raid series.

Functional art

Functional art refers to objects that mainly serve practical purposes. Functional art includes objects related to a human's essential needs and necessities, such as clothing, dwelling, tools and other useful objects, which are often decorated and embellished in ways that do not necessarily serve the functional purpose of the object itself. The main example of daily functional objects that developed into work of arts includes textiles and weavings; wicker objects made from plants fibres; and tools and containers, such as

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

and

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed- canopy old-growth tropical fores ...

weaving. One of the most elaborate examples of functional art is the traditional dwelling structures in Indonesian vernacular architecture.

Wicker

The need for functional tools and useful things led to creations of various

wicker Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...

handicrafts; such as containers, bags, hats, to cooking and eating utensils. Wooden materials, coconut shell and plants fibres; such as reed, bamboo and rattan has long been used in traditional weavings in Indonesian traditional society to create tools or containers. Examples include woven

noken ''Noken'' (from Biak: ) is a traditional Indonesian multifunctional knotted or woven bag native to the Western New Guinea region, Indonesia. Its distinctive usage, which involves being hung from the head, is traditionally used to carry various ...

bag created by native Papuans, Sundanese weaved bamboo containers and cooking utensils, to Dayak and Torajan wicker weaved hats. As the world's main producer of

, Indonesia has quite a well-developed rattan wicker industry and local artistry has been encouraged, producing numbers of wicker rattan furniture. Indonesia is also a leading exporter of rattan wicker furniture products.

Textile

{{see, National costume of Indonesia Women Making Batik, Ketelan crop

The textiles of Indonesia is diverse; from bark-cloth of Eastern Indonesia to intricately woven ''tenun'' fabrics from

Sumba Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...

. Examples of Indonesian textiles includes batik from Java, to

songket ''Songket'' is a '' Tenun'' fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. It is hand-woven in ...

and

ikat ''Ikat'' (in Indonesian languages means "bind") is a dyeing technique originating from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. In ''ikat'', the resist is formed by b ...

developed in many parts of the archipelago.

Batik Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...

, which is an art of

wax-resist Resist dyeing (resist-dyeing) is a traditional method of dyeing textiles with patterns. Methods are used to "resist" or prevent the dye from reaching all the cloth, thereby creating a pattern and ground. The most common forms use wax, some type ...

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

ing which creates intricate motifs, was elevated as a national art form—a national costume of Indonesia, which transcends Indonesian ethnic groups. Numbers of patterns and motifs have been developed, especially in Java, which contains symbolic meanings and significance. Batik cloth and shirts have been worn as formal attire, also often proudly worn as uniforms. In October 2009,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

designated Indonesian batik as a

Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...

.{{cite web, title="Indonesian Batik", Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity , url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00170 , publisher=UNESCO , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012213838/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00170 , archive-date=2014-10-12

Weaponry

{{Main, Weapons of indonesia WLANL - MicheleLovesArt - Tropenmuseum - Kris Van Knaud (6046-1)

The

kris The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its dist ...

is an Indonesian

asymmetrical Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry (the property of an object being invariant to a transformation, such as reflection). Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in pre ...

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use def ...

with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (pamor). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well. Traditionally worn as a status symbol and carried by warriors for when they lost their main weapon in battle, today it is the main weapon of many martial art styles in Indonesia. Kris is a symbol of power and of ethnic pride in most communities in

Indonesian archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...

. Both a weapon and spiritual object, kris are often considered to have an essence or presence, considered to possess magical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others possessing bad. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, a sanctified heirloom (pusaka), auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, an accessory for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc. Legendary kris that possess supernatural power and extraordinary ability were mentioned in traditional folktales. Other weapons from Indonesia include the

parang Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, and African heritage, something which ...

, golok,

kerambit The karambit or kerambit (as used in Indonesian), kurambik or karambiak (both from the Minangkabau language) is a small Indonesian curved knife resembling a claw from Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. The karambit is one of the weapons commonl ...

rencong The rencong (Acehnese language, Acehnese: ''reuncong'', Dutch spelling: ''rentjong'', British spelling: ''renchong'') is a type of knife originating in Aceh, Indonesia. Originally a fighting weapon, it is most often seen today in the martial art ...

, celurit,

klewang The klewang or kelewang is a class of bladed weapon between the sword and machete found in Indonesia and Malaysia. History During the Aceh War the Acehnese klewang proved very effective in close quarters combat against the sabre-wielding Dutch ...

, kujang, and

badik The badik or badek ( Makassarese : badiʼ ᨅᨉᨗ, Buginese : kawali ᨀᨓᨒᨗ) is a knife or dagger developed by the Bugis and Makassar people of southern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Description The badik consists of three parts, namely the ...

Pottery

{{see also, Majapahit Terracotta COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Beeld voorstellend de slang naga TMnr 5113-174

Pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...

was developed in Indonesia as early as 400 BCE in Buni culture in coastal West Java, which produced peculiar pottery with incised, geometrical decorations. It was the first Indian rouletted wares recorded from Southeast Asia. Clay potteries were later developed with evidence found in

Anyer Anyer, also known as Anjer or Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, west of Jakarta and south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th-century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait. History The town was a considerab ...

Cirebon Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central J ...

. Artefacts such as food and drink containers, dated from 400 BC to AD 100 have been found, mostly as burial gifts.{{cite book , title = The Sunda Kingdoms of West Java, From Tarumanagara to Pakuan Pajajaran with the Royal Center of Bogor , first = Herwig , last = Zahorka , publisher = Yayasan Cipta Loka Caraka , location = Jakarta , year = 2007 , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xSRwAAAAMAAJ Circa 13th to 15th century, the

kingdom developed its terracotta art. Numerous clay and terracotta artefacts have been discovered, especially from

Trowulan Trowulan is an archaeological site in Trowulan Subdistrict, Mojokerto Regency, in the Indonesian province of East Java. It includes approximately 100 square kilometres and has been theorized to be the site of the eponymous capital city of the ...

, Majapahit's former royal capital. Artefacts include figurines, heads figures including male head figure which speculated was the portrayal of

Gajah Mada Gajah Mada (c. 1290 – c. 1364), also known as JirnnodharaMunandar, 2010: 77 was, according to Old Javanese manuscripts, poems, and inscriptions, a powerful military leader and '' Mahapatih'' (the approximate equivalent of a modern Prime ...

, animal figures, among others, are the famous Majapahit

piggy bank Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank or money box) is the traditional name of a coin container normally used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the " mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th centur ...

, various containers, ''kendi'' water containers with peculiar breast-like spout, bas reliefs, floor and roof tiles, to pipe and architectural ornaments. So far no

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

has been found, which suggests that most of the objects are relatively low fired. The Majapahit terracotta art probably influenced and was preserved in the Kasongan terracotta art, found in

Bantul Regency Bantul ( jv, ꦧꦤ꧀ꦠꦸꦭ꧀; ) is a regency located in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Java. The regency's population was 911,503 at the 2010 Census, but has risen to 985,770 at the 2020 Census. Li ...

near

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...

and the one in Bali. Kasongan terracotta is well known for its earthenwares, vases and jars, earthen cooking wares, teapot and cups set, human and animal figurines, such as horses and elephants, also rooster piggy bank. Similar earthenware terracotta art also developed in Plered area, near

Purwakarta Purwakarta (Dutch: Poerwakarta) is a district and town in West Java, Indonesia which serves as the regency seat of the Purwakarta Regency. It had a population of 165,447 at the 2010 Census,. rising to 179,233 at the 2020 Census. History Purwaka ...

in West Java.

Architecture

{{main, Architecture of Indonesia {{see, Rumah adat, Candi of Indonesia, Indonesian mosques, Colonial architecture of Indonesia Rumah Gadang Sungai Beringin Sumbar

The vernacular architecture of Indonesia is diverse and developed according to the traditions, history and influences exposure experienced by each culture or society. They are ranged from simple reeds structure of native Papuan, stilted wooden structure with a prominent roof of Tongkonan and Rumah Gadang, to elaborately carved palace of Java and temple compound of Bali.

Performing art

Performing arts in Indonesia has its root in rituals and also serves as folks' entertainment. Notable Indonesian performing arts includes ritual dances, dance drama that retelling the ancient epics, legends and stories; also ''

wayang , also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...

'', traditional shadow puppet show.

Dance

{{main, Dance in Indonesia, List of Indonesian dances Indonesian dances are tremendously diverse, as each ethnic group has their own dances. This makes total dances in Indonesia are more than 3,000 Indonesian original dances. The old traditions of dance and drama are being preserved in the many dance schools which flourish not only in the courts but also in the modern, government-run or supervised art academies.{{cite web , url=http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html , work=Indonesia Tourism , title=The Indonesian Folk Dances , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124083455/http://indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html , archive-date=2010-11-24 For classification purpose, the dances of Indonesia can be divided according to several aspects. In historical aspect it can be divided into three eras; the prehistoric-tribal era, the Hindu-Buddhist era and the era of Islam. According to its patrons, it can be divided into two genres; court dance and folk dance. In its tradition, Indonesian dances can be divided into two types; traditional dance and contemporary dance. Notable Indonesian dances includes Aceh '' saman''; Balinese ''

pendet ''Pendet'' dance ( ban, ᬧᭂᬦ᭄ᬤᭂᬢ᭄) a traditional dance from Bali, Indonesia, in which floral offerings are made to purify the temple or theater as a prelude to ceremonies or other dances. ''Pendet'' is typically performed by young ...

legong Legong ( Balinese: ) is a form of Balinese dance. It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. Origins Legong probably originated in the 19th centu ...

, barong'' and ''

kecak ''Kecak'' (pronounced ("kechak"), alternate spellings: ''kechak'' and ''ketjak''), known in Indonesian as ''tari kecakilolahhe'', is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in the 1930s in Bali, Indonesia. Since i ...

''; Sundanese '' jaipongan'' also Javanese '' kuda lumping, ronggeng'' and '' reog''.

Drama

{{Main, Theatre of Indonesia Dance, drama and traditional music in Indonesia are usually merged as a whole complete of performing artform. The traditional Indonesian dance drama artforms includes; Malay ''

bangsawan ''Bangsawan'' ( Jawi: بڠساون) is a type of traditional Malay opera or theatre performed by a troupe, and accompanied by music and sometimes dances. The ''bangsawan'' theatrical performance encompasses music, dance and drama. It is wid ...

''; Minangkabau ''

randai ''Randai'' ( Jawi: رنداي) is a folk theater tradition of the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra, Indonesia, which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the martial art of silat. ''Randai'' is usually performed for traditional ...

''; Balinese '' gambuh'', ''

sanghyang ( ban, ᬲᬂᬳ᭄ᬬᬂ) is a traditional sacred Balinese dance originated from the Indonesian island of Bali, it is based on the premise that an unseen force enters the body of an entranced performer. The force, identified as ''hyang'' ...

'' and ''

topeng ''Topeng'' (from ban, ᬢᭀᬧᬾᬂ, su, ᮒᮧᮕᮨᮔᮌ, and jv, ꦠꦺꦴꦥꦺꦁ, topeng, mask) is a dramatic form of Indonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing, ornately costumed performers interpret traditional narratives c ...

''; Javanese '' wayang wong, ketoprak'' and '' ludruk''; Betawi '' lenong''; Sundanese '' sandiwara''; also colonial '' toneel'' and ''komedi stambul''.

Wayang

{{main, Wayang Wayang Kulit - Museum Wayang 02

''Wayang'' refer to a theatrical performance with puppets or human dancers. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as ''wayang.'' Performances of

shadow puppet Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-out ...

theatre is known as ''wayang kulit'', are accompanied by a ''

gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...

'' orchestra in

, and by ''

gender wayang ''Gamelan gender wayang'' is a style of gamelan music played in Bali, Indonesia. It is required for '' wayang'' (shadow puppet theatre) and most sacred Balinese Hindu rituals. The smallest of gamelan ensembles, it requires only two players and i ...

'' in

. It has been developed into a complete and refined art form, especially in Java and Bali. On 7 November 2003,

designated Indonesian ''wayang kulit'' as a

.{{cite web, title="Wayang puppet theatre", Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2003) , url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00063 , publisher= UNESCO Other ''wayang'' artform includes ''

wayang golek ''Wayang golek'' ( Sundanese: ) is one of the traditional Sundanese puppet arts from West Java, Indonesia. in contrast to the wayang art on other area of Java island that use leather in the production of wayang, wayang golek is a wayang art m ...

'' and ''wayang klitik''.

Musical art

{{main, Music of Indonesia Indonesian music is also diverse which uses different musical instruments. A well-developed, refined, mainly metalophones traditional orchestra can be discovered in Java and Bali as elaborate ''

'' orchestra. Other distinctive musics includes Sundanese ''

angklung The ( Sundanese: ) is a musical instrument from the Sundanese people in Indonesia made of a varying number of bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves, similar ...

'' and '' kacapi suling'', Minahasan ''

kolintang Kolintang is a traditional Minahasan percussion instrument from North Sulawesi, Indonesia, consisting of wooden blades arranged in a row and mounted on a wooden tub. Kolintang is usually played in ensemble music. Kolintang in the Minahasan commu ...

'', Minangkabau '' talempong'', Papuan ''tifa'' drum, to East Nusa Tenggara '' sasando''. Indonesian musical genre includes ''

dangdut Dangdut () is a genre of Indonesian folk music that is partly derived and fused from Hindustani, Arabic and to lesser extent, Malay and local folk music. Dangdut is a most popular musical genre in Indonesia and a very popular in other Malay w ...

campursari Campursari in Indonesian refers to a crossover of several contemporary Indonesian music genres, mainly Javanese Langgam Jawa and Dangdut. The word ''campursari'' was coined from the Javanese language, and literally means "mixture of essenc ...

, tembang sunda, gambus'', to Indonesian rock and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

Martial art

{{main, Indonesian martial arts Mengelak di Silek Lanyah

Indonesian martial arts include the variety of fighting systems native to or developed in the Indonesian archipelago, both the age-old traditional arts and the more recently developed hybrid combative. Other than physical training, they often include spiritual aspects to cultivate inner strength, inner peace and higher psychological ends.{{cite web , title=Pencak Silat: Techniques and History of the Indonesian Martial Arts , publisher=Black Belt Magazine , url=http://www.blackbeltmag.com/freeguides/pencak-silat-techniques-and-history-of-the-indonesian-martial-arts/ , access-date=2016-10-03 , archive-date=2017-09-14 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914115154/http://www.blackbeltmag.com/freeguides/pencak-silat-techniques-and-history-of-the-indonesian-martial-arts/ , url-status=dead Indonesian martial arts are synonymous with pencak silat.{{cite book, title=Weapons and fighting arts of Indonesia , author=Donn F. Draeger , author-link=Donn F. Draeger , year=1992 , publisher=Rutland, Vt. : Charles E. Tuttle Co. , isbn=978-0-8048-1716-5 Nevertheless, a number of fighting arts in Indonesia are not included within the category of silat. Pencak silat styles and movements are as diverse as the Indonesian archipelago itself. Individual disciplines can be offensive as in Aceh, evasive as in Bali, or somewhere in between. They may focus on strikes (pukulan), kicks (tendangan), locks (kuncian), weapons (senjata), or even on spiritual development rather than physical fighting techniques. Many of Indonesian natives have developed unique martial arts of their own.

Culinary art

{{main, Cuisine of Indonesia Jajan Pasar in Jakarta edit

Indonesian cuisine is often described as vibrant, full of intense flavour. Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences. Acquired from certain ingredients and bumbu spices mixture. Indonesian dishes have rich flavours; most often described as savory, hot and spicy, and also combination of basic tastes such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

n cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such as ''

gulai ''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables su ...

'' and ''

kari Kari or KARI may refer to: Places *Kari, Jhunjhunu, a village in Rajasthan, India * , a village in Mouhoun Province, Burkina Faso *Kari, Tikamgarh, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India * Kari, Iran, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Kari-ye Bozorg ( ...

'', while

Javanese cuisine Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major ethnic group in Indonesia, more precisely the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java. Definition Javanese cuisine refers exclusively to the cuisine of Javanese people, ...

is mostly indigenous, with some hint of Chinese influence. The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such as ''

bakmi ''Bakmi'' ( jv, ꦧꦏ꧀ꦩꦶ, bakmi) or ''bami'' ( th, บะหมี่, ) is a type of wheat based noodles derived from Chinese cooking tradition. It was brought to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants from Southern Chinese provinces like Fuj ...

'' (noodles), ''

bakso Bakso or baso is an Indonesian meatball, or a meat paste made from beef surimi. Its texture is similar to the Chinese beef ball, fish ball, or pork ball. The word ''bakso'' may refer to a single meatball or the complete dish of meatball soup. '' ...

'' (meat or fish balls), and ''

lumpia ''Lumpia'' are various types of spring rolls commonly found in the Philippines and Indonesia. Lumpia are made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" enveloping savory or sweet fillings. It is often served as an ap ...

'' (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated. Some popular Indonesian dishes such as ''

nasi goreng ''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ) is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish, usually cooked with pieces of meat and vegetables. One of Indonesia's national dishes, it is also eaten in Malay-speaking communities in countries such as Malaysi ...

'',{{cite web, url=http://www.bali-travel-life.com/nasi-goreng.html , title=Nasi Goreng: Indonesia's mouthwatering national dish , access-date=5 July 2010 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706164129/http://www.bali-travel-life.com/nasi-goreng.html , archive-date=6 July 2010 ''

gado-gado ''Gado-gado'' ( Indonesian or Betawi) is an Indonesian salad of raw, slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and ''lontong'' (rice wrapped in a banana leaf), served with a ...

'',Gado-Gado | Gado-Gado Recipe | Online Indonesian Food and Recipes at IndonesiaEats.com
/ref>{{cite web, url=http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/natl-indonesia.html, title=National Dish of Indonesia Gado Gado, url-status=dead, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612052913/http://thegutsygourmet.net/natl-indonesia.html, archive-date=2010-06-12 ''

sate Satay ( , in USA also , ), or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. The earliest preparations of satay is believed to have originated in Javanese cuisine, but ha ...

'',{{cite web, url=http://indonesianfoodrecipes.com/indonesian-satay-variants/ , title=Indonesian food recipes: Satay , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812035126/http://indonesianfoodrecipes.com/indonesian-satay-variants/ , archive-date=2010-08-12

rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

and '' soto''{{cite web, url=http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2009/03/soto-crawl.html, title=A Soto Crawl , publisher=Eating Asia are

ubiquitous Omnipresence or ubiquity is the property of being present anywhere and everywhere. The term omnipresence is most often used in a religious context as an attribute of a deity or supreme being, while the term ubiquity is generally used to descr ...

in the country and considered as national dishes. The official

national dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...

of Indonesia however, is ''

tumpeng Tumpeng ( Javanese: ; Balinese: ) is an Indonesian cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetables and meat originating from Javanese cuisine of Indonesia. Traditionally featured in the '' slamatan'' ceremony, the rice is made by using a ...

'', chosen in 2014 by Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as the dish that binds the diversity of Indonesia's various culinary traditions.

Gallery

File:Tropenmuseum Bisj-palen.jpg, Asmat totem-like ''bisj'' poles File:Topeng Batak.JPG,

tribal mask File:Isola nias, gruppi di idoli adù bihara, 02.JPG,

tribal art statues File:Decorated House, Palawa Village, Tana Toraja 1446.jpg,

wood carving File:Sumba Ikat.jpg,

'' weaving File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Zilveren Manjusri beeld afkomstig uit Ngemplak Semongan TMnr 10016132.jpg, Silver

Manjushri Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumāra ...

, Java art, c. 9th century File:A Pair of Loro Blonyo.jpg, A Pair of Loro Blonyo File:Silver covered bowl from Java or Sumatra, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG, Javanese silverware File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Wajangfiguur van karbouwenhuid voorstellende een pauzeteken TMnr 4551-27.jpg, Javanese Gunungan File:WLANL - jankie - Krisgreep (Indonesië), 19e eeuw.jpg, Balinese golden

hilt, with gems File:Wayang Golek Sunda PRJ 1.jpg, Sundanese ''wayang golek'' File:Topeng Bali.jpg, Balinese ''

'' (masks) File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Houten beeld van een karbouw met krab op zijn rug TMnr 1103-12.jpg, Contemporary Balinese wooden sculpture File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Prins Panji in een hof met drie vrouwen. TMnr 2110-1.jpg, Classic Balinese painting File:Raden Sarief Bustaman Saleh - A boar hunt in Java.jpg,

's romantic depiction of boar hunting

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{Commons category, Art of Indonesia, Indonesian art
Indonesian Arts, Facts and DetailsIndonesian Visual Arts Archive
{{Indonesia topics {{Asian topic, , art {{DEFAULTSORT:Indonesian Art

Indonesian culture The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East, South Asia and the Middle East, r ...

Art by country