Yuhendra
The exhibition INDONESIA: the discovery of the past is now on show in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam from 17 December 2005 until 17 April 2006. It presents more than 300 masterpiece collections of the Museum Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta and the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology) in Leiden. On display there are six large sculptures from the Singasari period (13th century), magnificent gold handmade ornaments and palace treasures from Sulawesi, Lombok and Bali, as well as rare ethnographical from West and East Indonesia, including New Guinea which most of them had never been displayed before.
Regarding the theme, the exhibition is not only displaying a long adventure of the two museums in collecting past treasures of Indonesia or recent discovered gold treasures but also showing Indonesia's greatness Art during thirteenth century. The collection of gold, silver and other jewelries, Buddha statues, sculptures, keris (daggers) and wayang puppets prove that old emperors in Indonesia contributed significant influence in Art.
Take the magnificent Prajnaparamita statue for instance (figure at the left). It was sculptured in Singasari, Java, in thirteenth century. This 126 cm stone statue reflects the Goddess of Transcendental Wisdom sitting on the lotus position. Her hands gestures the symbol of the Wheel of the Law. Her serene expression is extremely contrasted to her richly decorated appearance. Prajnaparamita was also called Princess Dedes by Javanese. What is more, Princess Dedes was strongly believed as a daughter of Buddhist.
Despite the vagueness between Prajnaparamita as a goddess and Princess Dedes as a first queen of Singasari, this statue shows its significance. Her dignified status can be seen from her adorable crown, jewelry; armlets, a caste cord, armlets, bracelets, finger and toe rings. Princess Dedes was carved in a good anatomy with slim shape and firm breasts. By capturing her carved beauty it makes sense that she was well-known as a queen from whom all kings of Singasari and Majapahit descended.
Anyway, her deep relaxed look reminds us to the head image of Indian savior, Buddha which was made around third century AD. The beautiful head of the Budha with its expression of deep repose was made in frontier region of Gandhara, Northern India, (Gombrich, H.E. The Story of Art, World Conquerors, Oxford, Phaidon, 1989)
The other extremely collection is Garment from Mandailing clan, North Sumatra. The result of expedition to Central Sumatra is a discovery of 60 cm width garment which was made on cotton and mica with gold thread.
This magnificent hand garment is presumed has existed during the Dutch colonial time in Indonesia 1800 (figure at the right). Mandailing is the name of one clan in North Sumatra. Before the coming if Islam (1820) the people were animism believers. It seems that Islam had also influenced their lacework.
As Gombrich explains in his book The Story of Art, Looking Eastwards, in Islam the making of images was forbidden. As the consequence they let their imagination play with patterns and forms and create the most subtle lacework ornamentation known as arabesques. In second to thirteenth century, outside the Islamic dominions the world became familiar with inventions through Oriental rugs. The Mandailing garment could be compared to Persian carpet which was made about 1600. The artist plays with their dream world of lines and colors.
Other proofs of the past gloriousness of Indonesia can also be seen through other luxurious displayed collections. They tell about Indonesian Art in Hindu-Buddhist time and in the period of the coming of Islam. There are bronze sculptures; Statue of Padmapani/ Avalokiteshvara Borobudur, (Java, 8-9th century, Height: 15.4 cm), Figure of a ram from East Java, (14-15th century, Height: 11.5 cm) which was fashioned according to the lost wax method. Height: 11.5 cm. There also golden and silvery marvelous jewelries like Bracelet, Ponto Sipappa made of silver, golf leaf, gemstones from Gowa, Sulawesi which was Presented to Rijks Ethnografisch Museum by the Crown Prince of Gowa (1890), crown made of gold, gemstones, rubies and cane, and ethnical handmade earrings and gold hair ornament. Some historically splendid stone statues are also shown, like Ganesha, the elephant god in Singasari period, (Java, 13th century) with height: 154 cm, or 106 cm-height Buddha Amitabha, which is origin: from Borobudur temple,(Java 8/9th century).
Photo from Museum Nasional Indonesia
The exhibition INDONESIA: the discovery of the past is now on show in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam from 17 December 2005 until 17 April 2006. It presents more than 300 masterpiece collections of the Museum Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta and the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology) in Leiden. On display there are six large sculptures from the Singasari period (13th century), magnificent gold handmade ornaments and palace treasures from Sulawesi, Lombok and Bali, as well as rare ethnographical from West and East Indonesia, including New Guinea which most of them had never been displayed before.
Regarding the theme, the exhibition is not only displaying a long adventure of the two museums in collecting past treasures of Indonesia or recent discovered gold treasures but also showing Indonesia's greatness Art during thirteenth century. The collection of gold, silver and other jewelries, Buddha statues, sculptures, keris (daggers) and wayang puppets prove that old emperors in Indonesia contributed significant influence in Art.
Take the magnificent Prajnaparamita statue for instance (figure at the left). It was sculptured in Singasari, Java, in thirteenth century. This 126 cm stone statue reflects the Goddess of Transcendental Wisdom sitting on the lotus position. Her hands gestures the symbol of the Wheel of the Law. Her serene expression is extremely contrasted to her richly decorated appearance. Prajnaparamita was also called Princess Dedes by Javanese. What is more, Princess Dedes was strongly believed as a daughter of Buddhist.
Despite the vagueness between Prajnaparamita as a goddess and Princess Dedes as a first queen of Singasari, this statue shows its significance. Her dignified status can be seen from her adorable crown, jewelry; armlets, a caste cord, armlets, bracelets, finger and toe rings. Princess Dedes was carved in a good anatomy with slim shape and firm breasts. By capturing her carved beauty it makes sense that she was well-known as a queen from whom all kings of Singasari and Majapahit descended.
Anyway, her deep relaxed look reminds us to the head image of Indian savior, Buddha which was made around third century AD. The beautiful head of the Budha with its expression of deep repose was made in frontier region of Gandhara, Northern India, (Gombrich, H.E. The Story of Art, World Conquerors, Oxford, Phaidon, 1989)
The other extremely collection is Garment from Mandailing clan, North Sumatra. The result of expedition to Central Sumatra is a discovery of 60 cm width garment which was made on cotton and mica with gold thread.
This magnificent hand garment is presumed has existed during the Dutch colonial time in Indonesia 1800 (figure at the right). Mandailing is the name of one clan in North Sumatra. Before the coming if Islam (1820) the people were animism believers. It seems that Islam had also influenced their lacework.
As Gombrich explains in his book The Story of Art, Looking Eastwards, in Islam the making of images was forbidden. As the consequence they let their imagination play with patterns and forms and create the most subtle lacework ornamentation known as arabesques. In second to thirteenth century, outside the Islamic dominions the world became familiar with inventions through Oriental rugs. The Mandailing garment could be compared to Persian carpet which was made about 1600. The artist plays with their dream world of lines and colors.
Other proofs of the past gloriousness of Indonesia can also be seen through other luxurious displayed collections. They tell about Indonesian Art in Hindu-Buddhist time and in the period of the coming of Islam. There are bronze sculptures; Statue of Padmapani/ Avalokiteshvara Borobudur, (Java, 8-9th century, Height: 15.4 cm), Figure of a ram from East Java, (14-15th century, Height: 11.5 cm) which was fashioned according to the lost wax method. Height: 11.5 cm. There also golden and silvery marvelous jewelries like Bracelet, Ponto Sipappa made of silver, golf leaf, gemstones from Gowa, Sulawesi which was Presented to Rijks Ethnografisch Museum by the Crown Prince of Gowa (1890), crown made of gold, gemstones, rubies and cane, and ethnical handmade earrings and gold hair ornament. Some historically splendid stone statues are also shown, like Ganesha, the elephant god in Singasari period, (Java, 13th century) with height: 154 cm, or 106 cm-height Buddha Amitabha, which is origin: from Borobudur temple,(Java 8/9th century).
Photo from Museum Nasional Indonesia
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