The Jakarta Textile Museum will be completely closed from 20 October to 25 December 2023. This closure is carried out to maintain the museum which is under the Art Museum Management Unit. Before the total closure, this museum had a partial closure from October 2 to October 19. During this period, visitors can only enter the Main Exhibition Building. So, for visitors who want to see the textile collection at this museum, it is best to come back after December 25.
History of the Textile Museum
In the mid-1970s, there was a decline in the use of wastra or traditional cloth by the community. Not only that, understanding of Indonesian literature has also diminished. This has encouraged a group of people who love traditional fabrics to create an organization dedicated to the preservation and research of Indonesian textiles, called Himpunan Wastraprema.
This association donated 500 pieces of high quality literature which was pioneered by Ali Sadikin as Governor of Jakarta at that time. The DKI Jakarta government supports it by providing a place for the collection on Jalan Aipda Ks Tubun, Tanah Abang, Petamburan. The Textile Museum was inaugurated by Tien Soeharto on June 28 1976.
The building that is used as the Textile Museum is a beautiful old building. It is said that this building was originally a private house belonging to a French citizen which was built in the 19th century.
After that, this building changed hands, from Turkish consul officials, to the headquarters of the Pioneer Youth Front, sold to Lie Sion Pin who then rented it to the Department of Social Affairs, until finally in 1975 it was handed over to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.
In 1985, the museum's collection increased so that two additional buildings were built as a maintenance room, collection storage room, literary introduction room, auditorium, library and office.
When UNESCO granted an Intangible Cultural Heritage charter for batik, on October 2 2010 the Indonesian Batik Gallery was created. The Textile Museum collaborates with the Indonesian Batik Foundation to inaugurate this gallery to present batik collections from all over Indonesia.
The Textile Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday, and on public holidays from 9 am to 4 pm, but every Monday it is closed or closed. The price to enter this museum is IDR 5,000. But, wait until the end of the year to come again to this museum.
