6. Avalokitesvara images in Indonesia

Almost the Avalokitesvara images in Indonesia were found from the island of Java and were created between the ninth and fifteenth centuries.

Pratapaditya Pal the author of Art from Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia has said:

“There is no doubt about the affiliation of the other Indonesian works in the collection; they all portray Buddhist deities. Although fragmentary, the stone torso likely belonged to the statue of a bodhisattva. Whatever the exact identity, it is possibly the earliest work of art from Central Java in the Museum’s collections and epitomizes the highest achievements of the artists of the Central Javanese period.”^[1]

According to some scholar that the metal images of Avalokitesvara of Javanese are close to general stylistic kinship of the Indian state of Bihar of the Pala period. (730-1197), we can seen the bronze Avalokitesvara image in Central Java (ninth-tenth century) the image missing its feet, which would have stood on a lotus base. A pointed oval nimbus with large, comma-shaped flames along the fringe is attached to his head. The body is slightly flexed and both arms are extended, the left more than the right.

Sashes secure the short dhoti at the waist and loop around the thighs. The image also wears a waist and loop around the thighs. The image also wears a waistband. The palm of the right hand faces upward and the thumb and third finger touch one another while the other fingers are bent inward. The left hand is turned down. The tiny, seated Buddha visible in the front of the chignon identifies the image as the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Similarity to the elements of Javanese image is the bronze Avalokitesvara image was found in Vietnam at Mi Duc, Quang Nam province (9th century) the image seated on a lotus throne with hands in varada murdra.^[2] Chutiwongs also observes this image served as models for the Pyu and Cham and the depictions of this type from North east India.^[3]

The similarity or the influence of the images Avalokitesvara in South Vietnam and South East Asia can be seen as the images from Pre-Angkor period 7th–8th centuries were influence from the Gupta style and common features of South East Asia. The images from central Thailand, peninsular Thailand, Champa, Indonesia, they all reveal a common heritage from eastern Deccan were influence of the pala style of medieval north east India. Beside that between the countries of South East Asia also influence from themselves such as the Avalokitesvara’s head from Trà Kieu (Binh dinh) central Vietnam wears a crown of the type which is regularly seen among sculptures of the classical style of Champa, it may be seen in the reliefs at Loro Jonggrang in central Java. The bronze two armed in Bình D\nh (central Vietnam) also appears in the tenth century art style of Cambodia and peninsular Thailand. The four armed bronze image from Th]y Cam, Qu_ng Bình (central Vietnam) it also occurs in the art of Dvaravati, and Malay Archipelago. The two armed and four armed stone Avalokitesvara 8th century from Trà Vinh (South Vietnam) also occurs in Dvaravati in central Thailand and Malay peninsular.

All above it has become clear from our stydy that the early Avalokitesvara images in South Vietnam and South East Asia were influence of the Buddhist tradition of North East and western India.

As Nandana Chutiwongs have been abserves:

“There are reasons to believe that this remarkable iconographic formula originated in North India during the early Gupta age and subsequently spread to South East Asia.”

“The second wave of Indian influence on the South East Asian images of Avalokitesvara reveals features characteristic of the late Gupta and Post-Gupta styles of Maharastra and Western Deccan.”^[4]

It much more susceptible to these influences than the other South East Asia region, and standing by themselves, South East Asian images of Avalokitesvara are important material for the study and understanding of the religious background and stylistic development of the art in this region.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

P. Pal, Asian Art at The Norton Simon Museum Vol 3, Art from Sri Lanka & S.E.A, Yale University Press: 2004, p. 76

[2]:

See the picture.

[3]:

N. Chutiwongs, The Iconography of Avalokitesvara in Mainland S.E.A, Delhi: 2002, p. 300.

[4]:

Nandana Chutiwongs, The Iconography of Avalokitesvara in Mainland S.E. A, Delhi: 2002, p. 333.