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BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITANMUSEUM OF ARTULLETIN OF THE
METROPOLITANMUSEUM OF ARTat which at least three-fourths of
theentire Board then in office shall votein favor of such sale or
disposition.
This codicil to Mr. Hoge's will was re-fused probate by the
court of first jurisdic-tion, but on appeal it was admitted
toprobate and the Museum is now in posses-sion of Mr. Hoge's
generous gift.R. W. DE F.A BUDDHA HEAD FROM JAVA
CONSPICUOUS among the master-pieces of Indian art of the classic
period(600-850 A.D.) are the sculptures of thegreat Buddhist temple
at Borobodur onthe island of Java. Early in the seventhcentury,
Indian colonists emigrated' toJava, and there established a
prosperouskingdom. Indian art, after many cen-turies of evolution,
during which a thor-oughly national style had been originated,was
entering at this time upon an era ofhigh perfection. The Indian
colonistsbrought this art to Java, where, flourishingno less
brilliantly than in India itself, itcontinued to preserve largely
its Indiancharacter.The principal monument of this Indo-Javanese
art is unquestionably the templeat Borobodur. This celebrated
shrine,which has been called the Parthenon ofBuddhism and the most
magnificent monu-ment of Buddhist art in the whole of Asia,was
built approximately between 750 and800, but its decoration must
have extendedover a much longer period. In fact, it wasnot entirely
completed at the time, aboutthe tenth century, when Buddhism
wassuperseded as the state religion in Java, asit had been several
centuries earlier inIndia, by orthodox Brahmanism.The sculptures of
Borobodur,which havebeen remarkably well preserved, includenot only
statues in the round, but also, andof even greater importance, a
series of bas-reliefs representing scenes from the life ofBuddha
and from the jatakas or legendsof his previous births. These
reliefs, whichextend in the aggregate for a length of
1Therehadbeenearliermigrations,but of lessimportance.
at which at least three-fourths of theentire Board then in
office shall votein favor of such sale or disposition.This codicil
to Mr. Hoge's will was re-
fused probate by the court of first jurisdic-tion, but on appeal
it was admitted toprobate and the Museum is now in posses-sion of
Mr. Hoge's generous gift.R. W. DE F.A BUDDHA HEAD FROM JAVA
CONSPICUOUS among the master-pieces of Indian art of the classic
period(600-850 A.D.) are the sculptures of thegreat Buddhist temple
at Borobodur onthe island of Java. Early in the seventhcentury,
Indian colonists emigrated' toJava, and there established a
prosperouskingdom. Indian art, after many cen-turies of evolution,
during which a thor-oughly national style had been originated,was
entering at this time upon an era ofhigh perfection. The Indian
colonistsbrought this art to Java, where, flourishingno less
brilliantly than in India itself, itcontinued to preserve largely
its Indiancharacter.The principal monument of this Indo-Javanese
art is unquestionably the templeat Borobodur. This celebrated
shrine,which has been called the Parthenon ofBuddhism and the most
magnificent monu-ment of Buddhist art in the whole of Asia,was
built approximately between 750 and800, but its decoration must
have extendedover a much longer period. In fact, it wasnot entirely
completed at the time, aboutthe tenth century, when Buddhism
wassuperseded as the state religion in Java, asit had been several
centuries earlier inIndia, by orthodox Brahmanism.The sculptures of
Borobodur,which havebeen remarkably well preserved, includenot only
statues in the round, but also, andof even greater importance, a
series of bas-reliefs representing scenes from the life ofBuddha
and from the jatakas or legendsof his previous births. These
reliefs, whichextend in the aggregate for a length of
1Therehadbeenearliermigrations,but of lessimportance.
nearly three miles, line the five sculpturedgalleries, or
pilgrims' procession paths,surrounding the different stories of
theshrine. Iconographically, these sculpturesare of the greatest
interest to the studentof Buddhism; their artistic merit
warrantstheir being classed among the greatestexpressions of
Asiatic culture.Indo-Javanese art continued to flourisheven after
the decay of Buddhism as thestate religion. The traditions of
Buddhistart were carriedon by the orthodox Hindus,and, although the
sculptured decorationof the Hindu temples at Prambanam, theancient
capital of Java, lack the dignifiedsimplicity and restraint of
Borobodur, theyrepresent, nevertheless, a developmentcharacterized
by many admirable qualities.Indian art in Java was brought to an
endby the Mussulman conquests of thefifteenth century.The Museum
has lately purchased a headof Buddha, which comes, in all
probability,from the temple at Borobodur. It maybe assigned in
date, approximately, to theninth century. The head is
somewhatlarger than life size, and is carved fromblack volcanic
stone or lava, the materialcommonly used by Javanese sculptors.It
was formerly owned by the well-knowncollector, M. Alphonse Kann,
and wasexhibited by him at the Exhibition ofBuddhist Art held in
1913 at the CernuschiMuseum, Paris. Since Indian
sculpture,particularly of the great period, comes butrarely on the
market, the Museum maybe congratulated upon the acquisition of
sofine an example as this head of Buddha.Comparison of our new
accession withthe images of Buddha in the small collectionof
Gandharan or Graeco-Buddhist sculp-tures acquired some years ago by
theMuseum, will prove instructive. Notinfrequently it is asserted
that we owe thefamiliar Buddha type to the sculptors ofthis school;
that is, to those Hellenisticsculptors, or rather workmen, whose
in-ferior talents found employ, under thedirection of Buddhist
monks, in theIndo-Scythian kingdom of Gandhara, onthe northwest
frontier of India, during thefirst three centuries of our era. It
isprobably true that the Gandharan sculp-
nearly three miles, line the five sculpturedgalleries, or
pilgrims' procession paths,surrounding the different stories of
theshrine. Iconographically, these sculpturesare of the greatest
interest to the studentof Buddhism; their artistic merit
warrantstheir being classed among the greatestexpressions of
Asiatic culture.Indo-Javanese art continued to flourisheven after
the decay of Buddhism as thestate religion. The traditions of
Buddhistart were carriedon by the orthodox Hindus,and, although the
sculptured decorationof the Hindu temples at Prambanam, theancient
capital of Java, lack the dignifiedsimplicity and restraint of
Borobodur, theyrepresent, nevertheless, a developmentcharacterized
by many admirable qualities.Indian art in Java was brought to an
endby the Mussulman conquests of thefifteenth century.The Museum
has lately purchased a headof Buddha, which comes, in all
probability,from the temple at Borobodur. It maybe assigned in
date, approximately, to theninth century. The head is
somewhatlarger than life size, and is carved fromblack volcanic
stone or lava, the materialcommonly used by Javanese sculptors.It
was formerly owned by the well-knowncollector, M. Alphonse Kann,
and wasexhibited by him at the Exhibition ofBuddhist Art held in
1913 at the CernuschiMuseum, Paris. Since Indian
sculpture,particularly of the great period, comes butrarely on the
market, the Museum maybe congratulated upon the acquisition of
sofine an example as this head of Buddha.Comparison of our new
accession withthe images of Buddha in the small collectionof
Gandharan or Graeco-Buddhist sculp-tures acquired some years ago by
theMuseum, will prove instructive. Notinfrequently it is asserted
that we owe thefamiliar Buddha type to the sculptors ofthis school;
that is, to those Hellenisticsculptors, or rather workmen, whose
in-ferior talents found employ, under thedirection of Buddhist
monks, in theIndo-Scythian kingdom of Gandhara, onthe northwest
frontier of India, during thefirst three centuries of our era. It
isprobably true that the Gandharan sculp-
222
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BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTULLETIN OF THE
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTtors were the first to represent the
personof Buddha. The Gandharan Buddha is adebased Apollo upon whom
the Buddhistmonks have grafted the laksbanas or marksof divinity
attributed to the person ofBuddha, such as the short hair, the
longarms, the pendent ear lobes, etc. But thetype thus created was
an incompletesymbol, which might satisfy the devoutwith a
representation of the physical ap-pearance of Buddha,but which
failed toexpress-did not, per-haps, even attemptto express
thosequalities of mind andheart in which lay thetrue greatness of
thatPrince Siddhartha,who renounced hisrank and worldly
pos-sessions to seek the"truth that shouldavail to liberate allmen
from the bond-age of mortality."The expression ofspiritual
character,the completion of thesymbol, was theachievement, not
offoreigners workingunder the dictationof monks, but of thatpurely
Indian art . .which succeeded theGraeco-Buddhist HEAD OF
BUDDHAschool of Gandhara. JAVA, IXIt is to native Indiangenius that
we owe the familiar type ofBuddha, the Enlightened One, the
typewhich is so superbly illustrated in therecent addition to our
collections of Asi-atic art. J. B.
EXHIBITION OF CZECHO-SLOVAK ARTON December 9 were seen in the
base-ment of the Metropolitan Museum, in oneof the class rooms,
three artists--a painter,an engraver, an etcher-all men of
reputa-tion, standing entranced over a white,
tors were the first to represent the personof Buddha. The
Gandharan Buddha is adebased Apollo upon whom the Buddhistmonks
have grafted the laksbanas or marksof divinity attributed to the
person ofBuddha, such as the short hair, the longarms, the pendent
ear lobes, etc. But thetype thus created was an incompletesymbol,
which might satisfy the devoutwith a representation of the physical
ap-pearance of Buddha,but which failed toexpress-did not, per-haps,
even attemptto express thosequalities of mind andheart in which lay
thetrue greatness of thatPrince Siddhartha,who renounced hisrank
and worldly pos-sessions to seek the"truth that shouldavail to
liberate allmen from the bond-age of mortality."The expression
ofspiritual character,the completion of thesymbol, was
theachievement, not offoreigners workingunder the dictationof
monks, but of thatpurely Indian art . .which succeeded
theGraeco-Buddhist HEAD OF BUDDHAschool of Gandhara. JAVA, IXIt is
to native Indiangenius that we owe the familiar type ofBuddha, the
Enlightened One, the typewhich is so superbly illustrated in
therecent addition to our collections of Asi-atic art. J. B.
EXHIBITION OF CZECHO-SLOVAK ARTON December 9 were seen in the
base-ment of the Metropolitan Museum, in oneof the class rooms,
three artists--a painter,an engraver, an etcher-all men of
reputa-tion, standing entranced over a white,
(I
cI
c
embroidered, peasant woman's cap. Theypassed it from hand to
hand as they dis-cussed the originality of its designs, thehistoric
relations of its motifs, and the skillof its workmanship.The
peasant woman's cap was one of thearticles shown in the
Czecho-Slovak Exhi-bition, and the three to whom it servedas text
were representative Bohemian-American artists. The
MetropolitanMuseum is not onlymetropolitan; it iscosmopolitan. It
pre-serves and explicatesbeginnings in thelight of continuings,as
well as of declin-LA STONE4, ings. Hence theCzecho-Slovak
Exhi-bition, to which onedescends from themore pretentious,
butperhaps not moresignificant exhibitions~:~~ - . of the old
Egyptians.ii~:~; ~ Almost 400 Bohem-ians came on thatSunday
afternoon tohear Mr. Vondrous,in English, and Mr.Pavel Sochan, in
Bo-hemian, tell of the old...;;' Slovak arts, and thelong abeyance
of theirflowering and fruit-VOLCANIC STONE ing, and of the na-
_ENTURY tional Renaissance.
embroidered, peasant woman's cap. Theypassed it from hand to
hand as they dis-cussed the originality of its designs, thehistoric
relations of its motifs, and the skillof its workmanship.The
peasant woman's cap was one of thearticles shown in the
Czecho-Slovak Exhi-bition, and the three to whom it servedas text
were representative Bohemian-American artists. The
MetropolitanMuseum is not onlymetropolitan; it iscosmopolitan. It
pre-serves and explicatesbeginnings in thelight of continuings,as
well as of declin-LA STONE4, ings. Hence theCzecho-Slovak
Exhi-bition, to which onedescends from themore pretentious,
butperhaps not moresignificant exhibitions~:~~ - . of the old
Egyptians.ii~:~; ~ Almost 400 Bohem-ians came on thatSunday
afternoon tohear Mr. Vondrous,in English, and Mr.Pavel Sochan, in
Bo-hemian, tell of the old...;;' Slovak arts, and thelong abeyance
of theirflowering and fruit-VOLCANIC STONE ing, and of the na-
_ENTURY tional Renaissance.Then a representa-tive of the Museum
pointed out the dutyof immigrant Americans whose heritageis
beautiful to foster in their new homeart, in its two aspects of
appreciation andproduction, and such skill as they possess,not
only, or chiefly, in old applications,but in the incorporation of
beauty intoall the constructive tasks to which theyset their
hands.
The Czecho-Slovak Exhibition consistedof embroideries, laces,
hand-woven andhand-spun textiles, ribbons, caps, aprons,vests,
shirts, bodices, nets, kerchiefs,decorated pottery, glassware,
decorated
Then a representa-tive of the Museum pointed out the dutyof
immigrant Americans whose heritageis beautiful to foster in their
new homeart, in its two aspects of appreciation andproduction, and
such skill as they possess,not only, or chiefly, in old
applications,but in the incorporation of beauty intoall the
constructive tasks to which theyset their hands.The Czecho-Slovak
Exhibition consistedof embroideries, laces, hand-woven andhand-spun
textiles, ribbons, caps, aprons,vests, shirts, bodices, nets,
kerchiefs,decorated pottery, glassware, decorated
233
