What is a pusaka? As the contributors to this book are mostly traditional javanese, they can hardly be blamed if they incline towards a rather mystical definition of the term. To a javanese, especially one very much in tune with the island's history and traditions, a pusaka is an inherited object endowed with supernatural power to protect,heal,and avenge. It is an intriguing conception and has attracted a certain amount of attention from admirers of Indonesian art but it does not necessarily extend beyond the shores of Java. The word 'pusaka' is used by many often isolated regional and ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Iban people of Kalimantan, for example, use the form pusaka to refer to heirlooms such as bronze gongs, old chinese potteries and porcelain, and the malay or even Austronesian origin. The likehood that the term derives from Sanskrit, as does the word pustaka, or book, now appears small.

Gonda's exhaustive Sanskrit in Indonesia does not list 'pusaka' as a Sanskrit-derived form. If the etymology of the word presents a problem, the sense is even harder to pin down. The two most established Indonesian dictionaries list three separate meanings : 1) something inherited from a deceased person (analogous to noun inheritance); 2) something that 'comes down' from one's ancestors (analogous to heirloom); 3) an inheritance of special value to a community, that cannot be disposed of without specific common consent (analogous to heritage in the sense of 'something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth) Long before the arrival of Hindu and Buddhist culture in Indonesia, the concept of the plot of land that was considered 'by nature' a sacred possession must have established itself among the primitive tribes of the archipelago, who have preserved such tradition to this day. Trespass upon the border of a sacred plot was considered just cause for war between the tribes until quite recently.

Pieces of land possessing a special, non-commercial value exist all over Indonesia. In law, such property is referred to as tanah ulayat, community-owned land, while the rights to it are called hak ulayat, the right of a community to possess property in common. In the Minangkabau areas of Sumatra, the sale or general use of tanah ulayat requires the consent of the ninik-mamak or 'elders' of the family. Whenever a road has to be widened in West Sumatra, the local government must approach family elders in ebery community along the length of the road. OFten the land will be presented to the government without cost, by common consent. This is only one example of the problems which can arise when traditional views on land ownership confront modern concepts of sale,possession and right of use. When the Indonesian government proposed a general law on the division of village property, the issue created various problems of Implementation.

Nor is it onlt land that is benerated in this manner. Ancestor statues used in ritual are naturally considered sacred or of special value by their owners, who may often consist of an entire tribe or community. In the author's experience the sale of dayak hempatong as souvenirs is viewed with grave misgiving and sometimes actual fear by the Dayaks themselves, even tough the latter may be converts to Islam, Christianity or another of Indonesia's official religions.

The Veneration of the keris is an example of the special central Javanese understanding of the word 'pusaka'. The word in a Javanese context is laden with a numinous or 'psychological' value which has drown conderable attention. It must not be imagined, however, that this is acknowledged by all Indonesians, or even by all Javanese; a traditionally-minded Moslem, for instance, would regard the concepts as a superstition, out of harmony with the teachings of his faith. We return to the original question somewhat enlightened.

What is a pusaka ? With respect to the nation and people of Indonesia, the items presented in this book are pusaka by all three general definition. Some may indeed have been considered pusaka in the special Javanese sense as well. Even so, not all of these objects carry, or have carried, the same importance to all Indonesians.

This raises a question : Is it possible or even adviseable, to leave precious objects--objects of special historical or cultural value--in private hands ? Many such collections, often including objects once venerated as pusaka in the special, mystical sense, have ultimately found their way into the sale-room. In order to better safeguard the national cultural heritage, the government recently reviewed the dutch Monumenten Ordonnatie of 1931 as Undang-undang Cagar Budaya, imposing stiffer penalties on transgressors. It is to be hoped that the new law will be more successful in its object than the former. There is alsoa so far unwritten regulations that object of national interest be goused in the National Museum, whilst pieces of regional importance reside in their provincial museums. Accordingly, the gold objects recently found in Central
Java are in the National Museum, while the ritual drum found in Lombok is in the museum of Mataram. The value of the Indonesian National Museum as a respository of the nation's pusaka is evident from the pages of this book. The equality and variety of the museum's treasures, of which these are only a small selection, is well represented. It is the hope of the editors that the publications of this book will provide an incentive to further study of these objects, our priceless national inheritance. *AJI