Buddhist deity from the Nganjuk mandala

Object Details

• Label

  With its elegant and natural appearance, this Buddhist deity epitomizes the mastery of Javanese sculptors, who are celebrated for their small-scale bronzes. The deity's downcast eyes, long and thin nose, smiling lips and elongated limbs are modelled with great refinement; his posture--slightly leaning to the right--is charmingly relaxed.

  Identified as Ghanta Bearer (the one who carries a bell), the deity belongs to the famous "Nganjuk mandala" group of small separately cast bronzes. In 1913, a farmer discovered the sculptures while cultivating land in the fertile Nganjuk district of eastern Java. Varying in size and imagery, the bronzes were conceived as several assemblies of mandala deities.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Origin

  Nganjuk, Java, Indonesia

• Credit Line

  Gift of Ann and Gilbert Kinney

• Type

  Sculpture

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s

• Place

  Java, Nganjuk, Indonesia

• Topic

  Bronze, Art, Southeast Asian Art, Metal-work

• Culture

  Buddhists, Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Sculpture