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Marijke Klokke AN INDONESIAN SCULPTURE IN THE KRÖLLER-MÜLLER MUSEUM1 Introduction SCULPTURE In 1919 Helene Kröller-Müller acquired an Indonesian sculpture from Frederik Muller & Cie, a well-known auction house in Amsterdam at the time (PI. 1). The inventory of the auction - which took place on 25-28 November 1919 - listed the sculpture under lot numbers 1548-1567, together with 19 other sculptures from the Netherlands Indies: ‘Collection de vingt sculptures en gres, d’idoles, etc. des Indes néerlandaises. (Boroboudour, Java?). - Par pièce’.2 Helene Kröller-Müller was born in Essen in Germany in 1869. In 1888 she married Anton Kröller, a promising employee at the Rotterdam branch of her father’s firm Wm H. Müller & Co. A year later he was to become the director of this firm and one of the richest business men in the Netherlands. In 1907 INDONESIAN Helene began to collect art, mainly the contemporary art of which Van Gogh was her favourite, but also non-western art.3 When she bought the Indo nesian sculpture in 1919 she was making plans to build a museum for her AN growing art collection. Because of long discussions with architects and financial problems of the Müller firm in the 1930s it was not until 1938 that her dream came true and the Kröller-Müller Museum came into existence thanks to an initiative of the Dutch state.4 Helene Kröller-Müller was to be the first director, but not for long as she died in 1939. The sculpture she acquired in 1919 is the only Indonesian piece in the Kröller-Müller Museum collection.5 It is registered as KM 113.611 but the inventory file gives little Information about the identification of the depicted figure (‘Hindu-Buddhist dwarf figure’), the origin of the relief (‘Indonesia’), or its date (‘unknown’). In this article I wish to establish its original context. Identification The sculpture is a relief on a square slab of stone that depicts a dwarf-like figure squatting on its haunches (PI. 1). The figure’s arms rest on its knees and the hands are raised as if to support the top part of the stone. The figure has curly hair and wears jewellery (large round ear rings, a necklace, anklets, and armlets) but no clothes. It sits on three round objects that represent its genitals. It holds the two ends of a sash in its upraised hands while the middle part of the sash is wrapped around the front of its fat belly. Plant-like pi.i. ornamentation fills the spaces on both sides of the dwarf-like figure. There are An Indonesian sculpture plain borders on the left, the top and the bottom of the panel but on the right in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, such a border is missing. Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 08:20:28AM The Netherlands via free access PI. 2. Similar dwarf-like figures abound in the Hindu and Buddhist temple art of Frieze with flying dwarf- Central Java. Like many other ornaments carved on temples - such as like carrier figures, monster heads, garlands, wishing trees, and vases of plenty - they derive Candi Kalasan from Indian art. Van Erp uses the term atlantes to denote such figures on Borobudur,6 but more often the Sanskrit word gana is used.7. Ganas are the dwarf-like followers of the Hindu god Siva and his son Ganesha, whose name means ‘Lord of the ganas’.8 However, since the dwarf-like figures are found on both Hindu and Buddhist temples in Central Java, it is questionable whether gana, specifically associated with Siva, is the correct term. More semi-divine dwarf-like or burden-bearing creatures such as guhyakas, yaksas, and naras are known in Sanskrit literature.9 It is difficult to decide which term would best fit the figures portrayed in Central Javanese art. These figures can be found on many of the surviving temples (candi) in Central Java, for instance Banyunibo, Barong, Borobudur, Dieng Candi A, Gedong Songo I, Kalasan, Kedulan, Loro Jonggrang, Lumbung,10 Mendut, Merak, Morangan, Pendem, Plaosan Lor, Sambisari, Sari, Sewu, and Sojiwan. They are seen at various locations, often integrated into an element with a support function, for instance in friezes (PI. 2), at the top of pilasters (PI. 3), at the bases of doorways or niche posts, or on panels below niches (PI. 11). The dwarf-like figures display various forms. When they are found high up on a temple, as for example at Candi Kalasan (PI. 2), they are often depicted in a flying attitude with one leg bent in front and the other leg bent backwards. Most examples appear in a squatting attitude with their hands uplifted as if carrying something (Pis 3-7, 9). Some examples, for instance at Candi Sojiwan (PI. 9), are seated on a lion or an elephant. Others, such as those at Candi Kalasan, have only one hand raised in a lifting position (PI. 2). Those that have both hands raised show various hand positions: both hands turned outward seems to be the most common position (Pis 3 and 6); whereas both hands turned inward is the most common at Candi Sewu (PI. 4); one hand turned inward and the other turned outward is found at Candi Gedong Songo I, Candi Kedulan, Candi Pendem (PI. 5), and Candi Plaosan Lor; and both hands turned to the front is the common way of depiction at Candi Loro Jpnggrang (PI. 7). Usually a piece of cloth hides the dwarfs’ genitals as can be seen in an example from Candi Sambisari (PI. 6),Downloaded but sometimes from Brill.com10/04/2021 the genitals 08:20:28AM are visible as can be seen on the figures at Candi Mendut (PI. 3). Sometimesvia free access PI. 3. the dwarf-like figures are shown carrying a flower (PI. 2), a flywhisk (PI. 9), Pot-bellied dwarf-like bells (Pis 5 and 6), or frond-like vegetation. They are occasionally found in figures at the top of association with plant-like ornaments, as on Candi Lumbung (PI. 8). pilasters carrying a kala- makara arch Origin By comparing the variety of dwarf-like figures found at several Central Javanese temples, it is possible to conclude that the Kröller-Müller sculpture has originated from the Barong temple complex. Candi Barong is situated in the hamlet Candisari in the village Sambirejo, Prambanan district, Sleman regency, Special Region (Daerah Istimewa) Yogyakarta, not far from Prambanan, a small townDownloaded on the from road Brill.com10/04/2021 from 08:20:28AM via free access Yogyakarta to Surakarta. A small path leads up a hill on which the temple □ PI. 4. > Dwarf-like figure, Candi Sewu PI. 5.» Dwarf-like figure, Candi Pendem PI. 6. > Dwarf-like figure, Candi Sambisari PI. 7.» Dwarf-like figure, Candi Loro Jonggrang complex was built. From the top of the hill there is a spectacular view across the landscape to the Southwest. Candi Barong is a relatively new name for this temple complex. When Helene Kröller-Müller bought her Indonesian sculpture, the site was called Candi Sari or Sari Sorogedug (to distinguish it from another Candi Sari, near Kalasan). In his Inleiding tot de Hindoe-Javaansche kunst N.J. Krom mentions that this temple had completely disappeared.11 It must have been in this condition for some time and was probably one of the sites which J.W. Ijzerman - who made a survey of this area at the end of the 19th century - described as 'jammerlijke puinhopen, gesloopt door een verbasterd nageslacht, dat niet in staat is de grootheid zijner vaderen te waarderen’'2.12, Not only did local people use the temple stones to build their own homes, attractive pieces could be taken unnoticed to add to a private collection or to sell on the art market. This was probably the fate of the sculpture in the Kröller-Müller Museum. The situation described by Ijzerman has changed completely. Indonesians are well aware of their cultural heritage. The BarongDownloaded temple from Brill.com10/04/2021 complex was 08:20:28AM restored between 1984 and 1991 and is no longer a pile of rubble, unworthyvia free access □ PI. 8. Dwarf-like figure in the centre of a spiral ornament, Candi Lumbung of a visit (PI. 11).14 Even in far away Kalimantan, the Banjarmasin Post of 21 August 2003 devoted an article to ‘the amazing Candi Barong', urging visitors going to Prambanan to make the effort to visit nearby Candi Barong and enjoy its breathtaking panoramic views. The Barong temple complex consists of two courtyards built on terraces on the hill. On the lower terrace only the foundations of a number of buildings can be seen. The upper terrace, which one enters through a gateway in its western wall, contains two temples standing next to each other on a north- south axis. They are called Candi I and Candi II, but since there is confusion in the literature about which is which I prefer to designate them as the northern and Southern temples.15 The two buildings are very similar. They are both small square temples measuring 8.40 x 8.40 m at their base.16 They are unique because, unlike other Central Javanese temples, their inner spaces - where one would normally find a temple chamber containing a central image - are enclosed on four sides and do not have entrances. All four sides have niches while other temples have niches in three sides and a staircase leading to the entrance on the fourth side. All the niches in the two Barong temples are empty now. Of the six images that were found at the site, only pi.