about the book:

Male figures wearing a cap were unique to Javanese temple reliefs in the Majapahit period (c. 1300-1500). These ‘cap-figures’, as the author has coined them, represent commoners, servants, warriors, noblemen, and most significantly Prince Panji, the hero from East Javanese Panji stories, and are characteristic for depictions of non-Indic narratives. The cap-figures started appearing in a time of artistic innovation, the Majapahit period, and they are an important example of the creativity of that age. Moreover, they confirm that art, literature and religion from that time were created free from Indian influence. Even more important is the symbolism of the cap-figure, which allowed viewers to proceed to esoteric knowledge. That is, pilgrims who, in the temples, followed the relief depictions of cap-figures, and in particular Panji, were guided to the Tantric doctrine of the Hindu-Buddhist religion.

Through following Panji in temple reliefs, the author gives the reader new and noteworthy insights into the religious meaning and function of East Javanese temples. This study of cap-figures and their symbolic meaning is detailed and comprehensive. It is the only one of its kind, adding invaluable information to scholarly knowledge about the Majapahit culture.

Art historians, archaeologists, philologists, and historians with a particular focus on ancient Indonesia will find themes relevant to their field of research. In addition, anyone interested in today’s discourse on Javanese identity and cultural uniqueness will find material to enhance their understanding

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Lydia Kieven, born in Germany in 1956, obtained a PhD degree at the University of Sydney, Australia. She has been studying East Javanese temple reliefs for nearly twenty years. She is the co-author, together with Ann Kinney, of Worshiping Siva and Buddha (2003). She is a freelanace teacher and researcher, at present, she teaches at University Bonn. In recent years she has been involved in activities and discussions surrounding ‘Panji-culture’ (‘Budaya Panji’) in East Java

lydia.kieven@gmail.com

Lydia Kieven: Following the cap-figure in Majapahit temple reliefs. A new look at the religious function of East Javanese temples, 14th and 15th centuries. Leiden: Brill Publisher 2013.

Open access: www.brill.com/following-cap-figure-majapahit-temple-reliefs

tentang buku : Buku ini memuat hasil penelitian penggambaran figur laki-laki bertopi di relief candi-candi Jawa zaman Majapahit (sekitar 1300-1500 M). Penulis menelusuri apa yang disebutnya sebagai “figur bertopi” di banyak candi dan memperoleh hasil yang mengejutkan tentang makna dan fungsinya. Figur bertopi — yang menampilkan rakyat biasa, pelayan, prajurit, bangsawan, dan terutama Pangeran Panji, pahlawan dari cerita Panji Jawa Timur — adalah tokoh yang unik dalam menggambarkan cerita non-India. Figur bertopi merupakan contoh yang menonjol dari kreatifitas zaman Majapahit dalam konsep baru terhadap seni, sastra, dan agama, yang lepas dari pengaruh India. Lebih dari itu, arti simbolis figur bertopi membawa pada tahapan yang hanya diketahui sedikit orang: peziarah yang mengikuti penggambaran figur bertopi dan Panji di candi-candi sedang dituntun menuju dokrin Tantra dalam agama Hindu-Buddha. Melalui penjelasan yang termuat dalam figur bertopi, pembaca buku mendapatkan pengertian baru akan fungsi religius di candi-candi di Jawa Timur. Penelitian tentang figur bertopi dan simbolismenya memberikan sumbangan luar biasa dalam memahami keunikan kebudayaan Majapahit. Buku ini ditujukan untuk kalangan luas dari para sejarawan seni, arkeolog, filolog, dan sejarawan yang tertarik pada Indonesia di masa lampau, khususnya Jawa zaman klasik, terutama sejak meningkatnya minat pada kearifan lokal khas Jawa dan identitas budayanya.

Lydia Kieven: Menelusuri Figur Bertopi dalam Relief Candi Zaman Majapahit. Pandangan Baru terhadap Fungsi Religius Candi-Candi Periode Jawa Timur Abad ke-14 dan ke-15. Jakarta: EFEO / Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia 2014.

Lydia Kieven, lahir 1956 di Jerman, mendapatkan gelar doktornya di University of Sydney. Dia telah mempelajari relief candi Jawa Timur selama hampir dua puluh tahun. Dia menyumbang pada buku Worshiping Siva and Buddha oleh Ann Kinney, terbitan tahun 2003. Dia adalah peneliti bebas dan saat ini mengajar di Universitas Bonn. Sekarang ini dia terlibat dalam kegiatan dan penelitian “Budaya Panji” Jawa Timur yang telah berkembang beberapa tahun belakangan ini. lydia.kieven@gmail.com