Violence and Serenity: Late Buddhist Sculpture from Indonesia

The Image
The thirteenth-century Joko Dolok statue is not the first Javanese statue that
resembles a monk. Several images of monks were carved in Central Java during
the ninth century. Perhaps the most beautiful example comes from Candi
Plaosan near Prambanan (fig. 2.3).4 The figure sits in padmāsana, with his
head slightly bowed and his hands in his lap in meditation (dhyāna mudrā).
Describing the Central Javanese images, Jan Fontein writes that the “subtle
differences in the shape and expression of the faces suggest that these statues
do not merely represent a type or class of people, but that they portray actual
persons.”5 In ancient India, monks and nuns were often donors to religious
monuments, and it is probable that these Javanese statues represent donors.6
Numerous inscriptions found at Candi Plaosan list the names and titles of
individuals who may have contributed to the construction or maintenance of
the site. Carvings of human figures on the walls of the interior of temple are
also thought to portray patrons.
In contrast to the Plaosan monk, the Joko Dolok image displays the bhūmisparśa
mudrā, a gesture that is unusual for a monk because it is not associated
with meditation or adoration. Besides the mudrā, the style of dress between
Joko Dolok and the Central Javanese monk images also differs. The Candi
Plaosan statue wears a thin robe, one end of which is draped high over his left
shoulder and intricately folded between his crossed legs. The diaphanous robe
clings to the monk’s slender body, revealing his nipple and belly button.
The shawl of the Joko Dolok is not translucent, and is also wider and longer,
curving over his shoulder and reaching his waist. Neatly folded, it falls
equally far down the back of the image. Fourteenth-century Buddha statues
from Candi Sanggrahan in East Java indicate that this may have been the style
of monk’s dress during this period (fig. 2.4). A further comparison with these
nearly contemporaneous Buddha images emphasizes the thickset proportions
of Joko Dolok. The Sanggrahan buddhas have narrow torsos, thin arms, and
long, attenuated fingers. In contrast, Joko Dolok’s body has an inflated appearance,
which is especially evident in his short, puffy fingers.
The ungainliness of the Joko Dolok image might at first be attributed to
an unskillful sculptor. This possibility is mitigated by two factors: first, the
patron of the image chose to have it inscribed, indicating, one would assume,
his acceptance of the statue; and second, there is another smaller replica of
this image, now in Malang, with nearly identical features (fig. 2.5).7 This second
image not only has a similar body type, but also a short neck and square
head, which is emphasized by his straight hairline and deep brow ridge. The
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