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View all search resultsPrecious artifacts looted from East Java museum during unrest
According to Eko, in addition to the fragment of the Ganesha statue, rioters also stole four pieces of batik cloth featuring motifs unique to Kediri, and destroyed a miniature model of a traditional rice barn along with another statue on display at the museum.
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Authorities move ancient artifacts at the Bagawanta Bhari Museum in Kediri regency, East Java, on Aug. 31, 2025, one day after rioters ransacked the museum and stole parts of its collection. (Antara Foto/Prasetia Fauzani)
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everal precious artifacts, including a fragment of the head of a 10th-century Ganesha statue, were looted from the Bagawanta Bhari Museum in Kediri, East Java, during a heated anti-government protest in the regency over the weekend.
According to authorities, the 30-centimeter fragment of the Ganesha statue housed at the Bagawanta Bhari Museum was discovered by archaeologists in 2009 in Babadan village, Kediri, and is believed to be a remnant of the ancient Mataram Kingdom.
The ancient Mataram kingdom was a Javanese Hindu–Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the eighth and 10th centuries. It shared a name with the Mataram sultanate, another large kingdom on Java that lasted from the late 16th to the 18th century.
Read also: Netherlands inks new deal to return Indonesian artifacts
Eko Priatno, head of the History and Archaeology Division at the Kediri Regency Tourism and Culture Agency (Disparbud), said that despite being only a fragment, the artifact held significant historical and cultural value for Indonesia.
“The discovery of the Ganesha head helped us identify the structure found in Babadan as a Hindu temple. It also serves as a symbol of historical tolerance, as a Buddhist statue was also found in the same area," he said on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.id.
Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity and symbol of wisdom and learning, is a highly revered figure in Hinduism.
