MUSEUM KOLONG TANGGA, Recalling the Childhood Memory
Category : Museum

How do the children face their daily life? How they react about their social life? How about your childhood? Perhaps you must recall your past memories, and then make comparisons with today. It's an easy way if you have a diary, but difficult for a person who hasn't well enough to remember. In Jogjakarta, there's a place to recall all the past, it's Kolong Tangga Museum.
 
Kolong Tangga Museum is a children museum, 'kolong tangga' mean under a stairs, the museum is located under the stair where connect between indoor stage and atrium of Taman Budaya Yogyakarta (TBY). It used to an empty place, then in February 2008, a Belgian named Rudi Corens and some Indonesians named Dyan Anggraini, Anggi Minarni, Poppy Dharsono and some volunteers, were established the museum.

It's the only museum exhibit traditional toys in Indonesia. It has at least 250 items collections, most of them belongs to Corens, a collector of traditional toys. He's been live in Jogjakarta for 25 years and collected hundreds of Indonesian traditional toys. One the most interesting is wood-made horse; do you remember about this toy? Children love to ride the horse, imagine a prince or warrior who saves their country and privilege from evil attack. Each region has their horse, figured on what is seen in daily life.

For girl, there is some feminism toys display in china glass cabinet. It made from wood and plastic, looks classic, tall, pretty and has long hair, an imagination of an adult. It's doll. Tens of dolls come from entire region of Indonesia displayed in the cabinet. It's very unique doll, some of them have curly hair, dark skin or even looks like western face. Some dolls wear traditional Indonesia clothes, some of them wear colonial classic dress.

Some toys put nature as their play, displaying in the museum. Kite, top, little boat and sheet-made airplane are inspiring child to make their own toy, not just consume. Some colorful graphic posters show how to recycle garbage, turning it to a new toy. Children are educated to be a creative person and love their environment. Some traditional games, such as 'gobag sodor', 'cublek-cublek suweng' or 'patil lele', showed on the display, as paintings, tools equipments and direction how to play with. The game doesn't individual game; it needs at least 3 children to play with.

In the weekend, Kolong Tangga Museum is crowded by children and their parents. In the museum, there're tall blue and green dolls, being an icon of the museum. Some children are afraid of them, but some love to take picture with. In the holiday, there are some art workshops hold by TBY and the museum, in order to introduce art world.

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