Exploring Kartini's History At The RA Kartini Museum In Rembang
Rembang also portrays RA Kartini's life journey. Her relics are still stored at the RA Kartini Museum. If you're passing Rembang, you can try to stop by and visit this city.
The RA Kartini Museum is not far from Rembang Square. The ambiance appears to be beautiful. There is a garden with a fountain in front of the pavilion. The admission fee is also quite cheap only Rp. 2,000 per person. This museum was previously the Kartini family's home therefore there are still relics in the shape of household things in it. There's everything from a dining table to a dressing table. Aphorisms by RA Kartini also grace the Museum's walls.
From the museum guidebook, it is stated that RA Kartini Museum was established in 1967. The museum was originally only as large as the chamber used by RA Kartini while she was the wife of Rembang Regent, R.M.A.A Djojohadhiningrat. Over time, the museum has expanded and now the building has a total size of 3,732.4 square meters.
This museum has 224 collections that are divided into 6 types that are 61 ethnography collections, 110 historiography collections, 3 philography collections, 25 keramology collections, 5 technology collections, and 20 fine art collections.
Among the items in the collection is a bothekan, a five-tiered pyramid-shaped container in brown and gold with flower buds on top. Its function is to store herbs or ingredients belonging to RA Kartini. Apart from that, there are sewing boxes, Bali, RA Karitini, and RM Djojohadiningrat dioramas, RA Kartini family dioramas, and the banner boxes that were used for the evening carnival on April 21 from the RA Kartini Museum to her burial site in Bulu District. The distance is about 20 kilometers from Rembang Kota. This museum also houses relics of RA Kartini's things. There are traditional Javanese clothes, mattresses, mirrors, dressing tables, and baby care tables.
RA Kartini's family portraits, taken while he was still alive, are also housed at this museum-like in the photograph of RA Kartini and RM Djojohadiningrat riding in a horse carriage. At the time, the couple took frequent visits to the Duchy of Rembang.
And, no less interesting, in this museum, there is also a writer of RA Kartini. There is a book Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang (Out of Darkness Comes Light). It is a book containing letters from RA Kartini and her best friend J.H Abendanon. The first edition was done by J.H Abendanon, which was published in 1911 under the Dutch title "Door Duisternis Tot Licht."
This book has been republished several times. The book was reprinted in 1922 by Balai Pustaka under the title " Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang: Boeah Pemikiran." Armijn Pane translated the book and republished it in 1938. Of course, there are several other historical collections to be found at this museum. So, please come and explore, travel, and learn about history. (Contributor/Vachri)
Photo: Pemkab Rembang
