A PAIR OF DVARAPALA TERRACOTTA TORSOS


Indonesia, Majapahit period, c. 14th century75 cm. (29 4/8 in.) high
|印尼 滿者伯夷王朝 約十四世紀 守門天赤陶雕塑軀幹一對Provenance:Formerly in the collection of Mr. Jean-Michel Beurdeley, FranceFormerly in the collection of Mr. Alain Atlan, FranceFormerly in the collection of Mr. Ronald Lundahl, BelgiumMarcel Nies Oriental Art, BelgiumPrivate Collection, NetherlandsPrivate Collection, ItalyLiterature:See van Bemmel on Dvarapalas in Indonesia as well as Soedarmadji Damais' work on Majapahit Terracotta (Van Bemmel, Helena. Dvarapalas in Indonesia: Temple Guardians, 1994 and Acculturation; Damais, J. H. Soedarmadji. Majapahit Terracotta: The Soedarmadji Jean Henry Damais Collection, Indonesia: BAB Publishing, 2012). A similar stone figure is in the collection of the Trowulan Museum, underscoring the value of such items in appreciating the splendour of the Majapahit Empire and the influence of Indian art in Indonesia (Beurdeley & cie. Oriental Works of Art. China, South East Asia, Japan, Paris, 1991, p. 11). Pieces from the same region and period are identified in Eggebrecht et al and Spink's Visions of the Orient (Eggebrecht, Arne & Eggebrecht, Eva. 'Catalogue: Der Austellung 'Ver Sunkene Konigreiche Indonesiens', Verlag Phillip von Zabern, Mainz, 1995, fig. 237-238; Spink & Sons. Visions of the Orient. Volume II, London, 1995, fig. 15, p. 76)"The wonders of the city: the red stone walls, thick and high, around the palace. The west gate called Pura Waktra, overlooking a spacious ground, belted with trench. Brahmastana tree with bodhi tree trunk, lining along the square, neatly shaped. That is where the royal guards stay, constantly patrolling and guarding the paseban. On the north side stood a beautiful gate with ornate iron door. To the east is the high stage, with stone-lined floor, white and shiny. In the north, south from the marketplace, full with elongated houses, very beautiful. On the south a road intersection: a soldier hall stood, where they held a meeting every Caitra month."Desawarñana, Canto 8, stanza 1 and 2 (Pigeaud, Theodoor Gautier Thomas. Nagarakertagama. Java in the 14th century: a study in cultural history: the Nāgara-Kĕrtāgama by Rakawi Prapañca of Majapahit, 1365 A.D. illustrated by Professor Th. P. Galestin. Martinus Nijhoff. V3, 1960, p.74)Bejewelled, identified by long teeth, bulging eyes, ferociously arched brows and flaring nostrils, this pair of guardians warn that any evil will be met with magnificent malevolence. These terracotta Dvarapalas are well-preserved examples of the art in East Java during the time of the Majapahit Empire (1293 – 1527 CE).Dvarapalas are known as the guardians of holy sanctuaries and spaces and typically placed in pairs at positions of visual prominence and entrances of Candi (temples) and Kraton (palaces). Such beings are part of an extensive trajectory of Hindu and Buddhist religion and myth and are found in temple complexes across Asia. In essence, they are protective deities.Trade and interactions with the surrounding Southeast Asian region, China and India contributed to the wealth and confidence of the Majapahit empire. There was an osmosis of technology and ideas, enabling art and crafts of all forms to flourish. Indonesia has a rich pottery tradition dating back to prehistoric times, however, production was limited to items of everyday consumption and ceremonial objects. The use of clay by the potter, now turn master craftsman, reached its zenith during the Majapahit period. Indigenous creativity drew inspiration from the legacy of the religions from the subcontinent. The locally sourced medium of clay allowed for fine curve and detail. These torsos created in the round and measuring 75 cm. high would have taken immense resources to construct as they would have been life-size or larger. Additionally, they are conceived as individual characters and their missing limbs would have carried further attributes. A pair identified as Mahakala and Guru, from a photograph taken in 1891, were sentinels at the ruins of the main Siva temple in the Prambanan complex (van Bemmel, Helena. Dvarapalas in Indonesia: Temple Guardians and Acculturation, 1994, p.33). In traditional Balinese paintings Siva or Siwa is accompanied by his two guardians, Nandiswara and Mahakala (Australian Museum of Art, Dr Stan Florek, Smaradahana: the Burning of the God of Love, Balinese painting E76373, Smaradahana: the Burning of the God of Love. Painting from the 1920s in Kamasan, artist unknown; collected by Anthony Forge in Kamasan in 1979. Size: 132 x 166 cm.).Their lingering features differentiate them from 'two pairs depicted as mirror images of each other' flanking the stairways of the main temple of Candi Panataran in East Java (van Bemmel, Helena. Dvarapalas in Indonesia: Temple Guardians and Acculturation, 1994, p. 33). The latter's lack of ornamented grandeur suggest that the present lot adorned in princely jewellery would have enjoyed a higher status in the pantheon of gods. This is best observed in the jewelled fleuron diadem headpieces crowning their long curly hair, the heavy pendant earrings, as well as the three rows of pierced and carved necklaces which adorn their chest.