15th C Majapahit bronze of Durga, Java Indonesia (05/08/2011)

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15th C Majapahit bronze of Durga, Java Indonesia

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15th C Majapahit bronze of Durga, Java Indonesia

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Sold Date: 05/08/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

A 15th century bronze Majapahit statue of Durga with an appealing patina, size 26 centimeters high and a weight of 1772 grams.
All the images of the goddess Durga in Java exhibit the same basic features by which they can easily be identified. The goddess is standing very relaxed in various poses on the back of a buffalo cowering under her feet. She is adorned with heavy jewellery and has numerous arms; 4, 6, 8 and occasionally 10. She holds various attributes (conch, fly whisk, flower a.o.) and weapons (chakra, bow and arrow, trident, sword a.o.) and controls the buffalo by his tail. Close to the buffalo’s head arises a small, dwarf-like figure; the goddess either grabs the figure by its hair or touches its head, a humiliating gesture in Javanese eyes. The arms, each holding a weapon, fan out around a tall, short-waisted figure. The plentiful ornamentation with crown, necklaces, armlets, bracelets and anklets, many heavy girdles and a richly decorated sacred cord running between her breasts (channavira) reveal her power as a goddess.
In Java, in contrast with India, there is no hint that Durga has been associated with a more independent cult as a goddess. No temple dedicated to Durga has been found so far. Although Durga came in the company of the Shiva cult to Java she has never been depicted as consort of Shiva nor was she used as an idol representing a deceased queen, as was often the case with Parvathi or Prajnaparamita.

Unfortunately there are no early written sources on the mythology and worship of Durga in Java. An inscription from the 11th century mentions the story of King Airlangga (1019-1045) who went into the forest to worship Durga in order to win her support in an upcoming battle. Therefore the numerous statues of Durga are the only testimony to her importance for worshippers of Hindu gods in Central and East Java.

Later, whereas Parvathi remained the ideal wife and donor of fertility and worldly well-being, Durga as fierce protector of the world underwent a transformation of character into an image that expresses mainly the fearsome aspects of divine forces. This metamorphosis took place gradually during the height of Majapahit power in East Java and became stronger during the decline of Hindu influence in Java (15th-16th century), when by the end of the Majapahit period the remains of Shivaite Hinduism were driven eastward through Java and on to Bali, while the centre of political power in Java shifted to the Muslim Sultanates on the north coast. Durga finally became the guardian of the cremation grounds and cemeteries, where she continues to dwell as a dreadful demoness in the realm of death.

The very dramatic story of Durga’s battle with the demons has been retold in many versions. Looking at the depiction of the story in the statues of Java the question is, which version backs the form of these images. There are basically two different renderings (of five existing in the Indian art tradition) in which the Javanese Durgas are shown. The earlier one is a dramatic depiction of the helpless buffalo who has his haunches raised high as his tail is pulled up by the goddess, and the demon (asura) is controlled by the lower hand on her other side.The later rendition depicts Durga standing calmly in various postures on the quietly reclining buffalo with the asura placed either beside or above his head, as can be seen in this statue. She holds up the buffalo’s tail with her right hand, while pulling the asura by his hair or just touching his head. Although in both cases the trio of goddess, buffalo and small demon points to the story of the dramatic events, hardly any traces of the cosmic battle can be recognised in the Javanese sculptures. None of them shows signs of the fight from which the goddess emerges so triumphantly. In some of the sculptures she sticks the trisula into the animal’s back ; this is a slightly more aggressive gesture, but is more reminiscent of an act of domestication of cattle than of war. The majority of Dur...