Museum Sonobudoyo

Museum Sonobudoyo is a history museum in Prawirodirjan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, housing several thousand objects from Java. The collection spans weapons, textiles, pottery and old manuscripts that emerged over centuries within the sphere of the sultanate.

The Java Institute established this museum in November 1935 on land provided by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII. Architect Kersten designed the building during the thirties, combining Dutch colonial forms with Javanese construction elements.

The name Sonobudoyo joins Javanese words for sound and culture, reflecting the role of this institution as keeper of local traditions. Visitors notice how deeply the court culture of the sultanate shaped daily life and arts in the region.

The building opens from Tuesday through Sunday between half past seven in the morning and three in the afternoon at Jalan Trikora 6 in Yogyakarta. The location near the Kraton makes visiting both places in a single day very manageable.

A collection of wayang kulit shadow puppets made from fine leather shows how complex this form of storytelling was. The figures were cut and painted by hand, each carrying distinct facial features and symbolic details for their role in the epics.