Java? buddha statue

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by JohnNL, Jan 3, 2018.

  1. JohnNL

    JohnNL Well-Known Member

    Years ago i bouhgt this small (15 cm high), bronze standing buddha figure. It was labled as Javanese?! Any idea if this could be true and consistent with style? And what age?
    Nice habit across both shoulders. Fingers not very finely sculpted. And/or damaged. Metal detector find, maybe?
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    aaroncab and Any Jewelry like this.
  2. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yes, I'd say Javanese. It is very charming, and a beautiful face.

    After the fall of the East Javanese Majapahit empire, ca 1500, and the increasing influence of Islam, Hindu-Buddhist bronzes continued to be made in places like Gresik, near Surabaya, East Java. Those pieces never had the quality and elegance of the Majapahit and other bronzes of the Hindu-Buddhist era.
    They are still making Hindu-Buddhist bronzes in Java, but yours looks like it could be an antique.
    Is it blackened? I have two blackened bronze Dewi statues from Java, they were brought to the Netherlands in the 1920s, probably relatively new at the time. I don't know if that is the period for Javanese blackened bronzes in general, it is so hard to find out anything about post-Majapahit East Javanese bronzes.
    I don't know about metal detecting, but there has been archaeology in Java since the early 19th century.

    For those of us with arthritic necks;):

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    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
    JohnNL and judy like this.
  3. JohnNL

    JohnNL Well-Known Member

    Cool! Thanks a lot :) Yes, they are probably blackened.
    What are the charistics that make you think it is Javanese?
     
  4. JohnNL

    JohnNL Well-Known Member


    Hahaha. Now i see the rotate buttons too :)
     
    Any Jewelry likes this.
  5. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Oooh, that's a whole list. Generally speaking, you can see they are derived from top quality figures, but they don't have the top quality of those figures. Always charming, but badly finished.
     
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