3 - Central and Early East Java: Metal and Stone Sculpture from the Eighth to the Eleventh Century

Summary

Statues originating from the Central Javanese period range in date from the late eighth to the ninth century, and they vary in size from a small bronze statuette at 7.5 centimetres to a monumental stone statue at 3 metres. These, along with a few small bronzes dating from the early East Javanese period in the mid-eleventh century, are the subject of this chapter. These statues were all chosen as examples for their diversity of patterns. Their places of origin are shown in map 3.

The term “Central or early East Java Style” describes a style of sculptures made in Java but showing some similarities to an Indian type of dress. The Indian style is especially evident from Eastern and Southern India in the early years of the Chola of the mid-ninth to the thirteenth century (Huntington and Huntington 1993, p. 509) and of the Pāla dynasties of Eastern India. There are many sculptures that appear to fit more closely with this Indianized style of dress—for example, a small Śiva from Gemuruh and the male figure half of the gold plaque (fig. 26)—a style that is apparent in the apparel but not the textile patterns themselves. The sculptures clearly show the figures wearing a dhotī, worn short, pulled up between the legs and tucked in at the rear of the body. Another explicit Indian detail of the dress is the use of the many small metal girdles and belts, chains and sashes. In Java, the chains around the hips are used as girdles, and the broad band or demarcation across the upper body is a sash or seléndang. These features are depicted in a somewhat different manner in India. There are obvious similarities, however, between the Indian and Javanese styles. In some instances the kain appears to stand proud of the limbs, which is more typical of the Singhasāri period.

The textile patterns are divided into four groups based on their pattern and design type.

Group 1 is made up of four sub-groups covering statues depicting small overall textile patterns in a repeat of flowers, circles and dots. These patterns are reflected in certain Indian painted resist and mordant dyed cotton fabric, which by their very nature indicates the design has a repeat. It is reasonable therefore to suggest that some of the figures in this group are dressed in a textile replicating a painted resist and mordant dyed fabric pattern.