Ullen Sentalu Museum

Ullen Sentalu Museum is a Javanese Culture and Art Museum in Indonesia. It is located at Jalan Boyon, in the Kaliurang tourist area, inside Kaswargan Park, a highland area approximately 25 km from the city of Jogjakarta. the Kaliurang tourist area is a mountain tourist area, that is located strategically by its easy connection to Borobudur and Prambanan Temples.

This private museum, initiated by Haryono family from Jogjakarta and now managed by Ulating Belancong Foundation, displays impressive architecture surrounded by beautiful gardens and statues. The museum is designed as a museum that presents cultural heritage in the form of stories or events that are intangible heritage. It is a "window" that reveals the stories of  Javanese culture through all its masterpieces, so one can explore the great times from the Mataram Islam Kingdom until the classical era. The masterpieces are carefully selected collections which are presented in a movement of a stories/history of the culture.

The first part of the museum is in the basement of the building. Going down the winding staircase, the first room to be found is the "Dance and Gamelan Room". This room showcase Gamelan music ensemble that was once used in the Jogjakarta Sultanate to accompany the "Wayang Orang" performances and traditional Javanese dances. If you are not familiar with Gamelan, it is a traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the Islands of Java and Bali, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs. Besides the Gamelan, there are several paintings of the Javanese classical court dances of the Sultan's Palace, such as the Mask dance and Srinti Tunggal dance. The guide will explain the meanings of the dances.

Next, you will be guided through a long underground passage that is called Gelo Giri Cave. Architecture of this passage is dominated by the usage of stones from Mount Merapi. This place exhibits documentary oil paintings of the personage that represents 4 figures from Mataram Dynasty. Through the various Sultans and their families paintings, the voyage of the Sultanate history, art and culture will reveal by itself. There are two outstanding paintings made using a 3D technique that shows portraits of woman whose eyes seemingly follow you around the room.

After the paintings passage, comes the Kampung Kambang Area which is divided into five museum rooms, namely Poetry for Tineke Room, Royal Room Ratoe Mas, Vorstendlanden Batik Room, Pesisiran Batik Room and the Room of the Desired Princess.

Poetry for Tineke Room is a room dedicated to poems taken from GRAj Koes Sapariyam notebook. It displays many handwritten poems by Tineke's friends and family that reveals their sympathy for the princess' love for lover. During the period of 1939-1947 the princess was deeply in love with a man her family didn't approve of. She was brokenhearted for nearly 10 years, although at the end she found a happy ending in her love life.

Royal Room Ratoe Mas is a room dedicated to Ratu Mas, princess of Sunan Paku Buwana X (ruler of Surakarta). This room exhibits paintings of the princess Ratu Mas, her pictures with the Sunan and her daughter, as well as all her cloth accessories.

Vorstendlanden Batik Room exhibits the batik collections from Sultans of Jogjakarta and Sunans of Surakarta/Solo. Through the collection, one can witness a process of art and creativity of Javanese people in expressing their philosophy through Batik patterns.

Pesisiran Batik Room completes the acculturation process in Java. Displayed are dresses, costumes, and batik clothes that are richer in color.

Room of the Desired Princess was built in dedication to GRA Siti Nurul Kusumawardhani, Mangkunegara VII's only daughter. Like the name of the room, she was indeed desired princess. She was a very good dancer. Queen Wilhelmina from Netherlands once invited her to perform a dance when celebrating her daughter-Princess Juliana and Prince Bernard's wedding. The pictures of her preserved in this room illustrates the ritual stages of life of a Javanese Princess. The princess was also an inspiration to the princes of Mataram to refuse polygamy, which was a common practice in that era.

Before the end of the tour, visitors are taken to Retja Landa Corridor, an outdoor hall containing statues of Hindu gods such as Vishnu and Ganesh. After that, there is a room called Sasana Sekar Bawana that exhibits several paintings of the kings of Mataram, statues and one huge painting of the Sultan welcoming Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Guides will lead the visitors to the park, which is the end of the tour. The park is called Kaswargan Park that is dominated by natural forest and parts of the park feature mountainous atmosphere and beautiful statues. Here one can also visit a souvenir shop and a restaurant named Baukenhof, where the interior has a strong ambience of the the colonial era in Java. The restaurant serves mainly Western dishes.

Every visitor will be given a special beverage, the recipe is a legacy of princess Ratu Mas, believed to bring health and youthful appearance.

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 09.00 am to 16.00 pm. Open on public holidays.
Admission: Local Tourist Rp. 25.000 and foreign tourist US $ 5.

Note: The sources are from various sites and private visit to the Museum.