Indonesia wants 'Java Man', art back from Dutch museums


This photograph taken on Oct 18, 2022 shows a skull cap of a Javanese, which is part of the Dubois collection, at the Naturalis museum, in Leiden. - AFP

THE HAGUE (AFP): Indonesia has asked the Netherlands to hand back at least eight art pieces and natural history collections that were acquired during the colonial era, including the remains of a landmark hominid known as "Java Man."

Identified as the first-ever example discovered of a Homo erectus, a forerunner of anatomically modern humans, "Java Man" is the centrepiece of an important collection at the Naturalis museum in Leiden.

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Indonesia , Java Man , Netherlands

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