Tolögu is a traditional sword unique to South Nias that carries not only a technological function, but also ideological and sociological value. This sword is a symbol and cultural identity of the Nias people, still holding a place in their hearts today. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer craftsmen remain capable of producing high-quality tolögu. This video briefly discusses the production sequence, the materials used, and why this unique weapon needs to be preserved.
This program is fully funded by the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), The British Museum, through Grant No. 2025SG13, and supported by Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, the University of Naples L’Orientale, Gamagu Nias, and Jengkal Studio.
This video was produced with funding from the Wikimedia Indonesia 2024 GLAM Mini-Grant, as part of the project Digitization of the Nias Collection at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, Florence.
The use of photographs of the Nias collection from the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, Florence, in this book was approved by the Università degli Studi di Firenze Sistema Museale through Protocol No. 0250996 del 16/10/2024 (UOR: XPAAM – Classif. X/9), authorized by Dott.ssa Lucilla Conigliello (Technical Director, Università degli Studi di Firenze Sistema Museale).
This program was also supported by the University of Naples L’Orientale (Naples, Italy), the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Rome, Universitas Nias Raya (South Nias, Nias Island), and Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (Singaraja, Indonesia).
The boat is an inseparable part of Indonesian culture. From prehistoric times to the present, boats have played a vital role in the maritime life of our nation. Rembang, once known as the Capital City of Traditional Boats, is one of the locations that still upholds this boat-building tradition. In this short video, we hear the story of Pak H. Sodiqin Yasir as we try to gain a deeper understanding of traditional boat-building in Rembang.
This video is part of The Prau Maritime Project, supported by the 2020 Cultural Affairs Facilitation Program (Fasilitasi Bidang Kebudayaan), Ministry of Education and Culture.
The journey of Indonesian objects from the Netherlands to South Korea holds a long story of colonialism, diplomacy, and debates over cultural heritage repatriation. The collection now housed at the Asia Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju was once part of the Museum Nusantara in Delft, the Netherlands—the only museum fully dedicated to Indonesian art and culture—before it eventually closed in 2013.
This video examines how 18,000 objects from Indonesia changed hands: from their history at the Indische Instelling, their role in training prospective colonial civil servants, to the controversy surrounding the repatriation process that once involved both the Indonesian and Dutch governments.
Through this story, we can see how cultural heritage is not only about objects, but also about politics, power, and the struggle for equality in international relations.
This video is part of the NADI Project by Ahmad Ginanjar Purnawibawa and Jessica Rossi. The project is funded by: the 2025 UNESCO Chair Grant, The Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.