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Java, Indonesia, Siva Temple, Loro Jonggrang, Prambanan, ca. 856–915 CE. © Davis Art Images. (8S-10184) |
I have been stunned
recently by the overwhelming beauty of Hindu-Buddhist temples in Java. I think
they rival the beauty of any architecture anywhere else in the world. It is
interesting to compare these stunning structures with what was being built
elsewhere in the world at the time. It was not yet the period of cathedrals in
Europe, gorgeous churches were being built in the Byzantine Empire, and it was
just about the end of the Classic Period in Mesoamerica, a time that saw the
construction of some of the most beautiful planned cities in the world. I would
like to see more attention paid to striking architecture such as this as part
of the global “March of Time in Art and Architecture.”
It is generally believed that the earliest inhabitants of
the Indonesian archipelago were of Indian or Burmese origin. Later migrants
known as Malays came from Southern China and Indochina at around 3000 BCE.
Since the early period, the Javanese established trade with India and China.
Prior to the arrival of Buddhism and Hinduism to Java, the native inhabitants
practiced a form of animism.
Hinduism was introduced from India through trade during the
first century CE. Hindu kingdoms were established in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and
Java between the 400s and the 1200s, some of which had also absorbed Buddhist
influences. Javanese architecture began under Hindu influence, with a surge of
Buddhism from about 750 to 850 (as evidenced by the monumental Stupa in
Borobudur), and a second flourishing of Hindu architecture that lasted from the
late 800s until the 1300s with the coming of Islam.
The Siva Temple at Loro Jonggrang is the most preeminent of
Javanese temples. It is part of a complex of at least 200 subsidiary temples
and stupas, built of brick. The Siva Temple shows the tendency of late medieval
Hindu architecture to be placed on larger and larger platforms. The tower of
the temple is based on the Dravidian pyramidal style temple towers in Indian
architecture, with much more elaboration in sculpture programs.
The idea of the sacred mountain evolved in temple
architecture during the late 600s in Southeast Asia. The mountain (Mount Meru,
sacred in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism) was considered the axis of the
universe, and, as in Western pyramids, ziggurats, and even cathedrals, provided
access to the divine. While the basic form of the temple ("candi") in
Southeast Asia was similar from region to region, the elaborate and exuberant
sculptural programs on the exterior are of greatest impact. The reliefs around
the pedestal/platform of the temple show scenes from the Ramayana interspersed
with niches containing sacred figures. The sculptural style of Prambanan is a
combination of the classic Shrivijaya Kingdom (750–850 CE) style seen at
Borobudur, and elements that hark back to the Gupta period (320–647 CE) in
India. The entrances on all four sides are a tradition dating back to early
stupas and other Buddhist architecture.
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Siva Temple, Loro Jonggrang, sculpture: Guardian of a Direction. © Davis Art Images. (8S-10187) |
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Siva Temple, Loro Jonggrang, sculpture: Rama. © Davis Art Images. (8S-10188) |
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Java, Candi Plaosan, ca. 830–850 CE, Prambanan Plain, near Yogyakarta. © Davis Art Images. (8S-10183) |
This temple, where Buddhism was worshipped, is part of a complex
of 248 smaller temples and stupas. Ironically, it was only used until about
1006, when a nearby volcano erupted and covered everything in volcanic ash.
Correlations to Davis
programs: Explorations in Art Grade 1: 1.1; Explorations in Art Grade 2: 6.31,
6.33; Explorations in Art Grade 3: 4.20; Explorations in Art Grade 4: 3.14,
3.18; Explorations in Art Grade 6: 4.20; Exploring Visual Design: 6; A Global
Pursuit: 8.5; Discovering Art History: 4.5
In 1991 the Borobudur was added in the UNESCO world Heritage list. Regardless if you are interested in architecture, religion or culture, it's impossible to ignore the achievement of the builders of the Borobudur, which is one of the wonders of Asia.
ReplyDeleteCandi Borobudur