Perahu Cengki-souvenir, commodity and gift

In this paper I will explore the symbolic and material significance of a unique souvenir that references the complex dynamics of the spice trade in Southeast Asia. In the 1970s my father, a geologist exploring mineral deposits in Maluku, returned with a clove boat an object now freighted with history both private (at home) and public (in British and Australian museums). Beyond being a souvenir, the clove boat encodes a narrative that alludes to a flow of ideas and goods, the historical underpinnings of the spice trade and the expansion of colonial powers. Cloves and nutmeg became so valuable they spurred the exploration and colonisation of spice-rich Indonesian Archipelago in particular several small islands in Maluku. The clove boat is modelled on a ‘kora kora’ and is a tangible manifestation of the exploitation of spices. These miniature vessels also serve as mementos of the spice trade's historical significance. Thus, acting as microcosms, reflecting interactions between European powers and the indigenous communities they encountered. This presentation will draw attention to a ‘pantun’ attached to the boat, it references Surabaya and indicates travelling between islands:"Ladju ladju perahu ladju, Ladju sampai Surabaya, Biar lupa kain dan badjul, Asal djangan lupa kepada saya." In the early 1990s I lived in Ambon for 2 years and after my return to Australia the boat was passed to me. This souvenir exemplifies Appadurai’s argument on the circulation of objects, ‘human actors encode things with significance, [but] it is the things-in-motion that illuminate their human and social context’.