Lotus Leaves Fall 2020 Volume 23 Number 1
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SOCIETY FOR ASIAN ART Lotus LeavesVolume 23 Number 1 The Amazing Tale of Kumbhakarna by Robert Goldman and Sally Sutherland Goldman 3 Roman Catholic Ivories from Asia Fall 2020 by Robert J. Del Bontà 10 About the Society Board of Advisors Directors 2020–2021 The Society for Asian Art is an independent 2020–2021 Mitra Ara, PhD 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was President Terese Bartholomew, MA incorporated in 1958. The Society was Ehler Spliedt founded by a group of enlightened citizens Patricia Berger, PhD Past President dedicated to winning Avery Brundage's Trista Berkovitz M.L. Pattaratorn magnificent art collection for San Francisco. Chirapravati, PhD Vice President Since that time, we have been an Margaret Edwards Kim Codella, PhD independent nonprofit organization that Vice President Renee Dreyfus, PhD provides programs on Asian art and culture Marsha Vargas Handley Penny Edwards, PhD and supports the Asian Art Museum. Secretary Munis D. Faruqui, PhD For over sixty years, we have offered a wide Etsuko Kobata Kathy Foley, PhD range of innovative, high-quality educational Treasurer Karen Fraser, PhD Ed Baer and cultural programs, along with social and Robert Goldman, PhD culinary events where participants share their Edith Benay Sally Sutherland knowledge and enthusiasm. SAA's popular Margaret Booker Goldman, PhD Arts of Asia Lecture Series, open to all, has Lynne Brewer Munir Jiwa, PhD been the core of the museum's docent- Deborah Clearwaters* Sanjyot Mehendale, PhD training curriculum. We sponsor international Kalpana Desai and domestic travel, visits to private art Mary-Ann Milford- Gloria Garaventa Lutzker, PhD dealers and collections, in-depth study groups, special lectures by leading scholars, Kirk Gibson John Nelson, PhD literature courses and symposia. Much of our Thomas Ihrig Benjamin W. Porter, PhD programming supports specific exhibitions. Nancy Jacobs Sugata Ray, PhD During restrictions imposed by COVID-19, Candace Zander Kahn Stephen Roddy, PhD the SAA's programs have continued through Anne Katz Richard E. Vinograd, PhD online streaming. Phyllis Kempner John Wallace, PhD Peggy Mathers Julia White, MA Forrest McGill* John Zarobell, PhD Lawrency Mock Howard Moreland Advisors Emeriti Society John Nelson Albert Dien, PhD Debbie Wong Ottman Lewis Lancaster, PhD Pamela Royse Joanna Williams, PhD for Asian Kathleen Slobin Nazneen Spliedt Sylvia Wong Art *ex officio To Wake a Sleeping Giant: LOTUS LEAVES The Amazing Tale of Kumbhakarna by Robert Goldman and Sally Sutherland Goldman Legend, at least, has it that the Japanese admiral Isaroku Yamamoto, the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor, either said or, alternately, wrote, in his diary after the event “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” If indeed Admiral Yamamoto, no doubt a student of military history, ever actually wrote or uttered these words, he might well have been channeling a quotation similarly questionably ascribed to Napoleon, “China is a sickly, sleeping giant. But when she awakes the world will tremble.” It is, however, not very likely that these two military geniuses, in using the metaphor of a “sleeping giant” would have been aware that the idea it conveys can be traced back some 2,500 years to a literal as well as literary example of just such an event, recorded in an extraordinary, hyperbolic, and, finally rather broadly comical episode in the ancient Sanskrit epic the Ramayana of the legendary Indian sage-poet Valmiki. This episode, found in the poem’s Yuddhakanda, or Book of War, the sixth of the seven large Books of the monumental work, constitutes what we are calling, “The Amazing Tale of Kumbhakarna.” In order to understand the episode and the characters it involves, a little background will perhaps be necessary. As aficionados of Asian Figure 1-1 (and cover detail ) The demon Kumbhakarna, arts and cultures, Readers of Lotus Leaves will, we perhaps 1920–1945. Indonesia; Java. Hide with pigments and gilding, wood, horn. Asian Art Museum expect, be at least basically familiar with the story of San Francisco, Gift of Marsha Vargas Handley, of the Ramayana, one of the most popular, widely F2009.20.1. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of spread, and influential works of Asian literature San Francisco. Fall 2020 Volume 23 Number 1 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art 3 and one told in many languages throughout not previously had the pleasure. (See Figure 1-1 LOTUS LEAVES the many nations of South and Southeast Asia. and cover.) Like many of his rakshasa kinfolk, Simply stated it is a grand quest narrative about Kumbhakarna, literally, “Pot-ears,” has a name a virtuous and valorous prince, Rama, widely that reflects his extraordinary physiognomy. revered by Hindus as an avatara, or incarnation, of We see this in the names of such characters as the Supreme Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is born on earth his brother, Ravana, whose actual birth-name to save it by removing, that is to say destroying, is Dashagriva, “Ten necks,” another brother, the monstrous Ravana, “the thorn in the side of Trishiras, “Three-heads,” his sister Shurpanakha, the world” (lokakantaka). Ravana is the ten-headed “Winnowing fan-like nails,” and his brother-in-law, king of the rakshasas, a race of supernaturally Vidyujjihva, “Lightning-tongue.” powerful demons who troubled the imagination of ancient Indians from as far back as the holy Vedas. To introduce you to this delightful character it In brief then, the tale is—on one very fundamental will be necessary to go back a little into rakshasa level—a parable of the eternal struggle between family history replete with its fateful Oedipal and Good (dharma), as represented by Rama, and gender related implications. We must start with Evil (adharma) in the person of Ravana and his one of the rakshasa patriarchs, a figure named fearsome allies. The conflict reaches its climax Sumalin, who had a beautiful daughter named in the poem’s long sixth Book, which describes Kaikasi, who, although endowed with every virtue at great length and in enormous detail Rama’s like the goddess of fortune Shri herself, had no crossing the ocean with a vast army of monkeys, suitor for her hand. Her father, fearing the scandal his siege of Ravana’s island fortress of Lanka, the of having an unmarried daughter, sends her off numerous battles between the opposing forces, to the pious and powerful vedic seer Vishravas, the tremendous final duel between the hero and grandson of the god Brahma himself, to ask him the antihero, and, at last, Rama’s recovery of his to accept her as his wife, promising her that she wife, Sita, whose abduction and imprisonment shall have by him sons equal in blazing energy at the hands of Ravana provides the immediate to the sun. Dutifully, she approaches the sage casus belli for the cosmic conflict of Good and Evil. while he is engaged in the awesome ritual of the The final struggle is so intense that, as the text—a agnihotra fire sacrifice. treasure store of magnificent similes—says, it is comparable only to itself: Vishravas, angered that the girl had approached The sky is comparable only to the ocean, him with such a request at such a critical moment, the ocean only to the sky. The battle between agrees to the marriage but addresses her as Rama and Ravana is comparable only to the follows: battle between Rama and Ravana itself. However, since you approached me at a fearsome hour, now learn what kind of sons But Ravana is not the only villain of the piece; you will bear. Fair-hipped woman, you shall he is surrounded by a cohort, a cabinet if you give birth to rakshasas of cruel deeds. They will, of relatives and ministers, who, with few shall be fearsome, ghastly in appearance, exceptions, form a chorus of what we would today and devoted to their fearsome kin. call “enablers.” Among these is his grandly drawn, monstrous, and gargantuan younger brother, a Horrified by these words, amounting to a prenatal figure well known to the visual and performance curse, Kaikasi protests that such sons would not arts of South and Southeast Asia, but little known be worthy of a descendant of the Creator. The sage in the West other than to students of Asian cultures partially relents announcing that her youngest son and members of the South and Southeast Asian alone will be righteous and worthy of his noble diaspora. This is Kumbhakarna the giant of our lineage. True to his infallible prediction, Kaikasi in title and the delightfully horrible figure to whom time gives birth to four children, the ghastly and we would like to introduce those of you who have terrifying ten-headed Ravana, the gargantuan and 4 Fall 2020 Volume 23 Number 1 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art voracious Kumbhakarna, a grotesque daughter, terrorizing the three worlds. They beg Brahma to Shurpanakha, who will much later play a critical trick the monster so as to neutralize his menace, LOTUS LEAVES role in the epic drama, and, last, as promised, a lest he literally devour the whole world. Brahma pious and wholly righteous son, Vibhisana. The accordingly summons Sarasvati, the goddess of latter will ultimately abandon his evil brother and speech, and instructs her to enter Kumbhakarna’s become an ally and exemplary devotee of Lord mouth and, seizing control of his vocal apparatus, Rama. compel the befuddled rakshasa to ask only to sleep for many, many years. The story is a popular Desirous of gaining great powers, Ravana and one as we see from the fact that it is narrated his two brothers retire to the holy site of Gokarna three times in different sections of the epic with where they perform severe acts of asceticism each retelling giving a different calculation as to for thousands of years.