Paintings found at Jurai show richness of RI art

Paintings found at Jurai show richness of RI art

By Haris Sukendar

JAKARTA (JP): The discovery of Indonesia's oldest painted
artwork has great value to both the scientific and art worlds.

The paintings were discovered accidentally by treasure diggers
on the walls of stone burial chambers at Jarai, Pagar Alam in the
675 meter high plateau of Pasemah in South Sumatra in 1978.

According to archeologists, the paintings -- the first found
in stone chambers in Indonesia -- belong to the megalithic
culture of the early bronze era. The megalithic culture dates
from 1500 B.C.-500 A.D., or 3500 to 1500 years ago. The site of
discovery is a coffee plantation at Kotaraya Lembak.

Paintings in stone burial chambers are strange and rare.
Earlier discoveries of such paintings were made by archeologists
in Yamaga and Wakamiya, Japan.

The paintings found at Jarai show animals such as buffaloes,
owls and the head of a dragon-like animal. Men are depicted in a
slightly bent position with a large and strong anatomy. The
shapes of men as well as animals were stylized. Paintings of
spiral-shaped plants, horn-like shapes and stairs, as well as a
bronze kettledrum were also found.

A laboratory analysis of the oldest paintings shows that they
were done in ocher for red, kaolin for white, charcoal for black
and clay for yellow. Each color has significance. Red represents
courage and rebirth, white indicates holiness, black is magic
power, while yellow means grandeur.

The paintings in the stone burial chambers in Jarai are linked
to the afterworld. The mourners seemed to make an effort to
ensure the soul of the deceased could travel safely to the
afterworld. The paintings are thought to be unrelated to esthetic
objectives although their shapes and colors are beautiful.
Religious magic power was the main aim.

Owls painted with a big beak and sharp, long nails are linked
with death in various Indonesian ethnic faiths. In Jarai, it is
said that when someone is about to die the voice of an owl is
heard at night, while a dragon's head can protect a man's life.

In Nias there is also a protective animal called "Lasara". It
is shaped like a goat.

The animal's head painted on the walls of the stone burial
chambers in Jarai was considered the guardian of the deceased's
soul, protecting him on his journey to the afterworld.

The bronze kettledrum was probably related to property
belonging to the deceased. The depiction of stairs was c symbol
of the levels the deceased would pass on his journey.

At funerals in Sumba, stairs are erected close to the body so
the soul of the deceased can use them to reach the afterworld. At
the funeral ceremony, when the body is lowered into the grave, a
buffalo is selected to be slaughtered for the soul. Buffaloes in
played an important role as slaughter animals in megalithic
communities. The soul of a buffalo that had been slaughtered as
an offering was often considered a vehicle for the soul on its
journey to the afterworld. Considering the buffalo played a role
for souls, and was offered at every ceremony, the painting of a
buffalo seems symbolic.

In megalithic tradition the painting of man, wholly or partly,
like the head, the private parts, the face with protruding
tongue, for example, was usually considered a symbol to obtain
greater magic power. Paintings of men were usually found on
coffins or places of worship. At Pasemah there is a painting of a
woman with big breasts. Breasts were usually linked with
fertility. Was this a sign that the people always hoped to be
given fertility, plants, cattle or offspring? This is a question
that needs exploring.