A few remarks about the sculptures of the original foot of the
outer-wall we didn’t discover before 1886. In 1890 I proposed them to be
uncovered and photographed, afterwards they were covered again in the
ancient manner, and hidden from sight.
They have been hewed on a projecting wall-foot which goes tolerably deep
beneath the heavy ogive, now resting as a socle again on the surrounding
outer-terrace that has been afterwards built all round the 36-angled
basis of the temple, but only on 24 of the 40 panels. The _two_ sides of
each of the double fore-buildings of the four temple-fronts built
towards the different zones of heaven, _haven’t_ been adorned with any
sculpture, but the staircases divide the four middle fore-buildings into
_two_ panels.
Each of the 24 hewed panels contains _six_ or _eight_ imageries one
metre long by about 80 inches high. A system of flat frames might have
separated the whole series from the mentioned ogive, so to say, a
regular combination interrupted by the staircases only.
If the 160 scenes which form this combination are to represent a series
of following events or legends we then must try to find the beginning
(like on nearly all other hindu temples) to the south of the eastern
staircase following it from there through the South, West and North till
the starting-point in the East.
This _didn’t_ happen and could not have happened when they were
photographed because the temporary uncovering began and was continued at
more than one place at the same time without knowing how many sculptures
there would be found. They have been marked on the clichés with capital
letters for the different panels, and with figures for the scenes of
each panel (from 1 till 6 or 1 till 8), but these numbers have been
occasionally noticed in a just direction, and from time to time in a
reversed successive number. On a few copies we don’t see any letter and
number; they may have been cut off with the margin of papier.
Fortunately, the figures in lead pencil on the back-side could assist
me, though they sometimes started from quite a wrong point.
The Dutch Government ordered 15 pair of photos to be taken from these
clichés, and presented them to special musea or societies. _I_, the
schemer of the plan, do not belong to the favoured. But the afterwards
wrecked Archaeological Society did, notwithstanding I, her president,
sent this plan to the Government for about 25 years ago[82].
Those who desire to examine these photos will find here the letters and
figures in the _just_ successive number of the sculptures to begin with
C 1 south of the eastern staircase.
C, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
B, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
U, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
T, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
S¹, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
S, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
Q, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
P, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
O, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
N¹, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
N, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
M, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
L, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
K, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
I, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
H¹, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
H, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
G, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
F, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
E, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
D, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
C¹, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1;
Six of these 160 sculptures are badly damaged whilst one of them is
wholly lost. (R. 5). Seven have less suffered. Twenty representations
remained partially unfinished (C 3 and 4, B 7, A 2, U 4, S 1, O 7, N 5,
M 2, K 4 and 3, H¹ 2, H 1, G 4 and 8, F 2, 4 and 6, D 3 and C¹ 4).
Partly _finished_ but for the rest not yet drawn in the rough are 3
scenes (H¹ 1, F¹, and D 4) whereas one (I 1) has been scarcely sketched.
On the flat frame above the series we see a few short indications
engraved in ancient-javanese characters—dating, according to professor
Kern, from about the year 800 of the Syaka-era,—roughly hewed and in a
perfunctory manner, as if it were scratched in stone with a knife or a
chisel, that is, above H 1, 2, 3 and 4 (twice); 5 (bis) and 6 (bis); F
1, 4, and 5; E 6 and 5; D 8, 6 (bis), 5 (bis), 4, 3 and 1 (bis)[83].
Some of these legends are no more or hardly to be read but the other
ones read by Dr. J. Brandes don’t teach us any more than that which we
may understand by closely examining the representations themselves, for
instance, that the _sĕmbah_ of the persons seated around a tomb or
sanctuary refers to a reverence to a _tyaitya_[84].
Some inscriptions may contain the name of the person to be hewed, and to
assist the sculptor.
The unfinished and scarcely sketched sculptures prove us that they, such
as on other _tyanḍis_ at _Parambanan_, have been hardly hewed here on
the walls of the finished temples.
In these sculptures I could not have recognised any continuous series.
Among many a domestic and some rural scenes I saw two or three fowlings
with a pea-shooter or bow and arrow (M 5 and 3), and one fishing (I 6);
one war-dance (C 5) and some other dancings on the occasion of which a
wind-instrument provided with a bagpipe (S 2 and R. 17) was played on.
Further there are offerings of food or flowers to Bodhisattvas or other
venerable personalities, and once to the Dhyâni-Buddha Amitâbha, the
Redeemer of this world (K 3), by six crowned men and to be distinguished
by their glories (Bodhisattvas perhaps?)
On one sculpture (K 2) Amitâbha (?) has been four times represented as
an ascetic in the wilderness. Sometimes there are hewed demons or
_raksyasas_, most often attacking or killing other people (M 2, 3, 6, 7
and 8); _tyaityas_ are to be seen more than once (U 3, T 6, 4 and 3, K
4, G 6, F 6, E 6, D 8, 6 and 3, and C¹ 6). _Bodhi_-trees covered by
_payongs_ and some _gandharvas_ under their shade, such as to be found
more than once in the _Parambanan_ ruins and speaking of _Buddhism_ even
there, have been hewed five times (K 6, G 4, F 3 (_bis_) E 4 and C¹ 6),
and once with a _payong_ only (D 1). _Vishnu’s tyakra_ has been once
represented on a lotus-cushion in the sky (C 2).
Concluding word.
In a small compass I suppose to have mentioned all that may be discussed
about the _three_ buddhistic monuments speaking in this valley, on the
two banks of the river _Prågå_, of a former high civilisation and of a
very developed art.
Those who require, or desire, a better insight into the ancient
Buddhism, and those who wish to know more about its sanctuaries to be
found here in Java and elsewhere in India, are kindly referred to the
works I consulted by the study of this subject, and to those I wrote
myself and which have been for the greater part mentioned in or at the
bottom of the text of this little book.
Granting Buddhism to have been lost in Java and elsewhere in India,—yet,
it still exists, more or less degenerated, still counting more followers
than any other religion ever counted, and its lucky freedom from
bigotry, especially in the hînayânistic countries, and noble doctrine of
love and self-command is raised above all suspicion[85].
_Jogjakartå_, October, November 1906, and 1911.