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Brunei Museum

Muzium Brunei
The museum in 2023
Established	1965 (1965)
Location	Simpang 482, Kota Batu, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Coordinates	4°53′06.9″N 114°58′07.6″E / 4.885250°N 114.968778°E / 4.885250; 114.968778
Type	National museum
Collections	Historical, cultural, and natural heritage artefacts
Owner	Government of Brunei
Nearest parking	On site (no charge)
Website	www.museums.gov.bn

Brunei Museum (Malay: Muzium Brunei), the country's largest and most significant national museum, is located in Kota Batu, Bandar Seri Begawan. This national museum houses a collection spanning Islamic art, Southeast Asian history from the 16th century, and extensive displays in archaeology and ethnography. Although the museum closed in 2014 for major repairs and upgrades, its much-anticipated reopening, initially set for 2020, has been delayed and remains closed as of 2022.

Location

The Brunei Museum is located in Kota Batu, approximately 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) from the capital's city centre, along Jalan Kota Batu. It is part of a museum complex that includes the Kota Batu Archaeological Park, Malay Technology Museum and the Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum. This complex is situated on the scenic delta and slopes of the Brunei River, near historically significant sites such as the tombs of Sultan Sharif Ali and Sultan Bolkiah.

History

Founded in 1965 in the Civic Centre in Brunei Town (present day Bandar Seri Begawan) and relocated to Kota Batu in 1970, the Brunei Museum has been an integral part of Brunei's scholarship and research, particularly before Universiti Brunei Darussalam was founded. The construction of the new building began in 1968 and was completed in 1970 at a cost of M$4.39 million at that time. It was inaugurated on 29 February 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1969, it established the Brunei Museum Journal, a significant periodical in Bruneian studies that was published consistently until 1997 and resurrected in 2008.

Closed since 28 January 2014, the Brunei Museum is now undergoing major renovations to fix structural concerns brought on by termites, soil erosion, electrical malfunctions, and air conditioning issues. Despite the building's age, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has no plans to replace it because of its heritage importance. Some exhibits have been moved to other locations during the shutdown, including as the Belait District Museum, Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park, the Maritime Museum, and the Malay Technology Museum. The closure has also been intended to make way for upgrade, which includes redesigning the interior and exhibits, incorporating more interactivity and modern technology, and creating a new open-concept gallery. The museum was initially expected to reopen by the end of 2020; however, it has remained closed for several years, with reopening plans now anticipated for 2021 or 2022.

Directors

• 1974–1982: Pengiran Shariffuddin
• 1983–1983: Lim Jock Seng
• 1987–1995: Matussin Omar
• 2001–2006: Matassim Jibah

Design and features

The Brunei Museum building features traditional Malay motifs, inspired by the tomb of Sultan Bolkiah, a 15th century ruler of the Bruneian Empire. The museum itself spans three floors, with 3939,000 square feet (3,600 m) dedicated to exhibitions, 9,000 square feet for research and administrative offices, and 5,000 square feet for storage. Situated on a site covering 48 hectares (120 acres), the museum's grounds also include a surrounding park.

Exhibits

The Brunei Museum holds a vast and diverse collection encompassing ethnography, archaeology, prehistory, and modern history. Among its material culture collections are silverware, brassware, wood sculptures, textiles, and traditional artifacts accumulated over six decades. The museum also showcases notable displays on natural history and the development of Brunei’s petroleum industry, highlighting the nation's industrial progress and cultural heritage.

The museum features various galleries, including an Islamic art gallery, a natural history gallery, and a space for temporary exhibitions. Its History Gallery presents displays on Southeast Asia’s historical ties to Brunei, from the 16th century Spanish and Portuguese Empires through to more recent eras. This gallery also explores traditional lifestyles of the country’s communities and its rich natural flora and fauna. Artefacts include 9th and 10th-century pottery from Iran and Central Asia, glasswork from Egypt and the Levant, a miniature Quran manuscript, woven textiles, gold ornaments, ceremonial cannons, and sultanate weaponry.

Much of the museum's collection is drawn from the personal collections of the Sultan of Brunei, including silver and gold coins from across the Islamic world. A unique exhibit titled The Spirit of Budo: The History of Japan's Martial Artsdisplays replicas of armor and weapons from 8th to 14th century Japan. A showcase on Brunei's oil industry, created by Brunei Shell Petroleum, traces the nation's discovery of oil and its profound economic impact. Larger exhibits are displayed in rooms at the rear of the building, while administrative and technical sections are housed in the basement.

See also

• List of museums in Brunei

References

1. ^ "Brunei Museum". Asia Europe Museum Network. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
2. ^ "Brunei Darussalam, A Guide". Brunei Shell Group of Companies. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
3. ^ "Brunei Museum". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
4. ^ Harrisson 1972, p. 119.
5. Thiessen, Tamara (5 January 2016). Borneo. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-84162-915-5.
6. Porananond, Ploysri (23 September 2016). Tourism and Monarchy in Southeast Asia. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-4438-1661-8.
7. "Meet Brunei Museum's first taxidermist". Borneo Bulletin. 22 February 1969. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021 – via Borneo Bulletin Online.
8. ^ Gin, Ooi Keat; King, Victor T. (2022). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Brunei. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-56864-6.
9. Office 1972, p. 266.
10. Haji Abdul Karim, Hezlinawati (16 March 2014). "Bangunan Muzium Brunei dikekalkan". Pelita Brunei (in Malay). Retrieved 9 November 2024.
11. ^ Wardi Wasil (8 February 2019). "Brunei Museum set to reopen in 2020". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
12. Museums Department. "PENGIRAN DATO PADUKA SHARIFFUDDIN BIN PENGIRAN METALI" (PDF). www.museums.gov.bn (in Malay). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
13. Husainmiya, B. A. (25 April 2018). "Kehilangan tokoh ikonik Brunei". Media Permata Online (in Malay). Retrieved 9 November 2024.
14. Department of Museums. "LIM JOCK SENG" (PDF). www.museums.gov.bn (in Malay). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
15. Department of Museums. "Dato Paduka Awang Haji Matussin bin Omar" (PDF). www.museums.gov.bn (in Malay). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
16. Department of Museums. "HAJI MATASSIM BIN HAJI JIBAH" (PDF). www.museums.gov.bn (in Malay). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
17. ^ Publications 2007, p. 127.
18. ^ "Press-Release:Russian Embassy visits Brunei Museum". Embassy of the Russian Federation in Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

• Harrisson, Tom (January 1972). "The Brunei Museum". Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 45 (1 #221): 119–120. JSTOR 41492390.
• Office, Great Britain. Colonial (1972). Brunei. H.M. Stationery Office.
• Publications, USA International Business (7 February 2007). Brunei Air Force Handbook. Int'l Business Publications. ISBN 978-1-4330-0429-2. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)

External links

• Media related to Brunei Museum at Wikimedia Commons

• Museums in Brunei
• National museums