The Hidden Story of a Gold Finial from Java, Indonesia

Klokke shows that the context in which an eleventh-century gold finial from Java, Indonesia, was made explains the narrative imagery it depicts. The finial is on display in the Yale University Art Gallery's Kubler-Thompson Gallery of Indo-Pacific Art. It attracts the viewers attention with its...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin 2022, p.49
Main Author: Klokke, Marijke J
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Epic literature
Historic artifacts
Symbols
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Klokke shows that the context in which an eleventh-century gold finial from Java, Indonesia, was made explains the narrative imagery it depicts. The finial is on display in the Yale University Art Gallery's Kubler-Thompson Gallery of Indo-Pacific Art. It attracts the viewers attention with its precious gold material, elegant form, and delicate scrollwork. Upon closer inspection, one discovers small, humanlike figures among the scrolls. These figures appear to depict two episodes of an eleventh-century Old Javanese text that was based on a well-known Indian epic story. She links the tiny figures on the finial to the story from an Indian epic that was recast for a Javanese audience, suggesting that the finial may have served a purpose in a royal marriage ritual.
ISSN:0084-3539