Page 131 - South East Asian Art, December 4th 2020 Galerie Zacke Galerie Zacke

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A JAVANese sIlVeR FIguRe OF JAMbhAlA
Indonesia, central Java, 9th-10th century. The four-armed God of Wealth seated
in lalitasana on a double lotus throne rising from the unsealed stepped square
base, holding a mongoose expelling wish fulfilling jewels in his main left hand and
a round vessel in his main right, a dharmachakra and a lotus flower held in his
other two hands. His right foot is resting on a bowl from which jewels are falling
out and this motif is repeated several times around the base. The deity richly
adorned in jewelry and wearing a five-leaf crown, his face with a calm expression
showing a benevolent smile, with a broad nose, arched eyebrows, and an urna, a
flaming halo above two mythical beasts standing on elephants behind him.
Jambhala originated in ancient India as the Hindu Lord of Wealth Kubera. At the
beginning of the 8th century, the Medang Kingdom in central Java practiced a
religion centered on the Hindu god Shiva, but soon afterwards the Sailendra
dynasty rose in Kedu Plain and became a patron of Mahayana Buddhism, with
Hinduism and Buddhism coexisting in central Java throughout the 9th and 10th
century. This depiction of Jambhala, or Kubera, adheres more to the Buddhist
iconography, with glimpses of the Hindu tradition.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above.
condition: Good condition with minor traces of wear, fine copper-red patina,
the back plate with halo has come apart.
Weight: 305.3 g
Dimensions: Height 12 cm
Published: The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum, page 105, Budapest
2013.

estimate euR 3,000
Starting price EUr 1,500

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