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.