War Trophies: Flags from Indonesia

The Dutch fought colonial wars in numerous regions of the vast Indonesian archipelago. The Netherlands used violence to establish colonial authority in the Dutch East Indies, primarily in order to gain control of trade and trading routes. The original owners of the flags were local rulers and combatants who were resisting Dutch rule. Some of the flags were used during battles as identifying symbols and are as much as five metres in length. Others are decorated with Islamic characters and sayings, and therefore have religious connotations. The captured flags became war trophies. After being sent to the Netherlands as proof of victory, these flags eventually ended up in the Rijksmuseum.