Balinese Sculptures the Pratima
One of prominent Bali museum expert, Drs. I Made Seraya has come to the ideas about the existence of Pratima after observing some of the sculptures of Bali museum collections. To clear the term of Pratima here is a short note from writer, Pratima is Sanskrit word used Bali to refer the symbol of gods or spirits. This symbols are normally anthropomorphic, yet it is added something to show super humanity. This symbol is put at the temple and considered sacred in it's function as the medium of homage and worship. Back to the conclusion of Drs. I Made Seraya that this Pratima has been considered important and experience great attention after the year 1343AD when Java controlled Bali. More complete of his conclusion after observing the pratimas at Bali Museum is as follows :
1. The pratimas of Bali museum are duplicates which give the idea of belief aspect of the sculptures by Balinese Hindu.
2. The tradition of carving sculptures for the use of pratima, especially in Bali experienced fast development which was encouraged by one of Hindu doctrines called "Bhakti Marga". The pratima is used as the material of worship to the god. The tradition is developed during the period of New Bali Hindu from 15th to 18th century. This development is the continuation of sculptural art which previously already exist in Bali. Later development experienced changes, looking for it's form as what would prefer for Balinese without leaving previous belief embedded in the tradition of sculpture making. This is the conclusion of his observation on the collection of ancient sculptures of Bali museum collection. The writer here would focus on the spirit of Bali in making bulk stone sculptures found scattered at many places on Bali. Today most of these ancient sculptures are preserved at the temple, or a possibility that when the people found an assemblage of ancient sculptures they built temple at the site. This can be proved by many places in Bali, added the number of temples in Bali. The tradition of making sculpture as the decoration and sacred part of temple has been practiced since the development of Hindu in India, see for example various temples at south India up to north India, on to Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Some of the sculptures are believed to be very old, close to the turn of Christian era. Indonesia also record this old sculptures such as those found at Cibuaya village West Java, a sculpture of god Wisnu, and the sculpture found at the West coast of Sulawesi which style showing the tradition of Amaravati art of South India from 1st century of Christian era. In Indonesia until 8th century the sculpture found mostly as the effort of artists to personify the gods such as Shiva, Wisnu, Brahma, Ganesha and others. The detail of the sculpture showing close observation of scriptures of India, from anatomy to all attributes. In brief all these artwork showing close relation with India art, such as what we can see at Prambanan temple, Borobudur temple, one of Buddhist stone sculpture at Goa Gajah Bali. Let we called this period as classical period Indonesian art. What is happened after the year of 1000? Starting from the finding of sculpture of god Wisnu at Belahan east java which is considered as the sculpture of Erlangga, the tradition seems to have changed. The attributes and anatomy of the sculpture seems not to observe closely the previous tradition. Beauty, smoothness, inner spirit to be impressed by the sculpture have been made totally different. Furthermore the finding of sculptures made during the period of Majapahit 13 th to 15th century, it impressing different ideas. The discovery of ancient manuscript called Pararaton and Negara Kertagama then disclose to meaning of later tendension if sculptural art which is supported by the finding of Hindu tradition in Thailand, that the establishment of a sculpture is for the commemorial of a prominent person such as king, ministers and sometimes the close person of a king. In Indonesia for the king when he is died a ceremony called Srada is performed and the sculpture of the dead king established in a candi a kind of family temple, not for gods, there are temples also for the homage to the gods. This tradition also reached Bali and has been planted deep since Bali ancient kingdom among the royal family. Some proof for this tradition have been established. In Bali it seems that the tradition has been mixed up there is sculpture of gods and goddesses, beside the sculptures for the worship of king holy soul. In the following development of this tradition in Bali it seems not only the king's and his dignitaries but also the priest of Bali Hindu as proved by abundant finding of priest like ancient sculptures. After the relocation of capital city of Bali kingdom from Gianyar to Klungkung Bali experienced breakage in political history, first Bali was broken into 8 kingdoms, then each of this kingdom again broken into many small kingdoms. All these kingdom were still consider the rules in Klungkung as the highest ruler in Bali. Whatever the main concept of the establishment of the sculpture it was not the sculpture that is worshiped, yet it is considered as the medium of worship. As a medium of worship it must be clean, pure in the sense of religious thinking. Sculpture for the dedication of holy soul was established as the commemorial of the person which is not the sculpture itself as the personification of the person being homaged.
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