Keraton Kasepuhan
Encyclopedia
The Kraton Kasepuhan is the oldest kraton
(sultan's palace) in the Indonesia
n city of Cirebon
. It is the residence of the Sultan of Kasepuhan.
, Javanese, Islamic
, Chinese
and Dutch
styles.
Inside is the palace is a cool pavilion with white-washed walls dotted with blue-and-white Delft
tiles, a marble floor and ceiling hung with French chandeliers. The legacy of Majapahit is preserved in its small pendopo
on soft carved brick bases. The carvings on the pendopo columns are 1940s copy of the ancient originals. An innovation is the use of brackets branching out from the columns. The main building features unusually tall pyramidal column bases. The ornament on the double braces of this building's pendopo tumpang sari ceiling are picked out by gilt. Another unusual feature in the eclectic complex is plaster and masonry columns feature a decoration that resembles reeding
. Like other old sites around Cirebon, ceramics in walls are common here, although their use in the Kraton is more restrained.
While still lived in by the sultan, parts of the palace are open to the public. The palace has a museum with a collection of wayang
, kris
, cannon, furniture, and Portuguese armour, ancient royal clothes, and the Kereta Singabarong, a 17th century gilded coach.
Kraton
Kraton or Keraton is the Javanese word for a royal palace. Its name is derived from ratu, which means "ruler" . In Java, the palace of a prince is called puro or dalem...
(sultan's palace) in the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n city of Cirebon
Cirebon
Cirebon is a port city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .The seat of a former Sultanate, the city's West and Central Java border location have...
. It is the residence of the Sultan of Kasepuhan.
History
It was built in 1527 and its architecture and interior are a blend of SundaneseSundanese people
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim...
, Javanese, Islamic
Islam in Indonesia
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia, which also has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim as of 2009....
, Chinese
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
and Dutch
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
styles.
Inside is the palace is a cool pavilion with white-washed walls dotted with blue-and-white Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
tiles, a marble floor and ceiling hung with French chandeliers. The legacy of Majapahit is preserved in its small pendopo
Pendopo
A Pendopo or Pendapa is a fundamental element of Javanese architecture; a large pavilion-like structure built on columns. Either square or rectangular in plan, it is open on all sides and provides shelter from the sun and rain, but allows breeze and indirect light. The word pendopo is a variant on...
on soft carved brick bases. The carvings on the pendopo columns are 1940s copy of the ancient originals. An innovation is the use of brackets branching out from the columns. The main building features unusually tall pyramidal column bases. The ornament on the double braces of this building's pendopo tumpang sari ceiling are picked out by gilt. Another unusual feature in the eclectic complex is plaster and masonry columns feature a decoration that resembles reeding
Reeding
-Numismatics:In numismatics, reeded edges are often referred to as "ridged" or "grooved". Some coins, such as United States quarters and dimes, have reeded edges. One reason for having reeded edges was to prevent counterfeiting...
. Like other old sites around Cirebon, ceramics in walls are common here, although their use in the Kraton is more restrained.
While still lived in by the sultan, parts of the palace are open to the public. The palace has a museum with a collection of wayang
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
, kris
Kris
The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
, cannon, furniture, and Portuguese armour, ancient royal clothes, and the Kereta Singabarong, a 17th century gilded coach.