Java was once the origin of extraordinary Buddhist art, including a great number of Avalokiteśvara images, in stone, bronze and other metals. These representations of the Bodhisattva date from... Show moreJava was once the origin of extraordinary Buddhist art, including a great number of Avalokiteśvara images, in stone, bronze and other metals. These representations of the Bodhisattva date from between the seventh and the thirteenth century CE. They form the subject of this thesis. The earliest Avalokiteśvara images show him in his ascetic form, but over time he takes on a princely form with jewellery and a sacred thread. The majority of the Avalokiteśvara images were produced during the Central Javanese period and examples in stone can be found at Borobudur, Candi Mendut and the Plaosan Lor complex. The Javanese developed their own artistic language to depict Avalokiteśvara which we see in the style and combination of iconographic features. A few of the Javanese iconographic choices for Avalokiteśvara were local and not adopted in the rest of Insular Southeast Asia. The final depictions of Avalokiteśvara show him in a specific iconographic form, Amoghapāśa Lokeśvara. These images are linked to Candi Jago, near Malang in East Java. This thesis is an iconographic study and traces the development of Avalokiteśvara imagery in Java through time and in connection with developments elsewhere. Show less
This article addresses a scene on a mirror from Caere,now in Berlin, as the prelude to the apotheosis of Herakles. It suggests that theotherwise unknown inscribed name Mutnuc derives from the Latin... Show moreThis article addresses a scene on a mirror from Caere,now in Berlin, as the prelude to the apotheosis of Herakles. It suggests that theotherwise unknown inscribed name Mutnuc derives from the Latin Mutinus, thename of a phallic deity who is rendered here as Pan. Herakles’s positionbetween Mutnuc and a Siren, and the presence of one or two thunderbolt symbolssuggest that he is on his journey to Olympos. Show less
Samudragupta’s gold coins of Asvamedha Type are frequently mentioned by historians of ancient India for their obvious link to this king’s Vedic Horse Sacrifice. Surprisingly limited attention has... Show moreSamudragupta’s gold coins of Asvamedha Type are frequently mentioned by historians of ancient India for their obvious link to this king’s Vedic Horse Sacrifice. Surprisingly limited attention has been given to their actual ‘looks’. And what do these coins tell us about the minting processes at mints operating in the time of Samudragupta? This paper discusses the textual, archaeological and sculptural testimonies to the Asvamedha sacrifice as a recurring royal event. Its main focus, however, are the details of the designs and Sanskrit legends in Brahmi script on the coins. The approach is through the mint idiom of the coins—that conglomerate of styles, iconographies, fabric, palaeography of legends and shaping of symbols shared by coins from the same mint. This analysis brings out that the coins were probably struck at one and the same mint, although we do not yet know where this site was located. A comparison with other coins struck for Samudragupta suggests that the minting of Asvamedha Type coins was also restricted time wise. Keywords: Asvamedha Type, gold coins, Guptas, Horse Sacrifice, mints, mint idioms, yupas, forgeries. Show less
This article presents three hitherto unpublished objects in the collection of the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung in Berlin. The faience stela ÄM 19718 and the pyramid panels ÄM 1631–1632... Show moreThis article presents three hitherto unpublished objects in the collection of the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung in Berlin. The faience stela ÄM 19718 and the pyramid panels ÄM 1631–1632 derive from the Saqqara tomb of the early Nineteenth Dynasty Mayor of Memphis, Ptahmose. This paper also explores the way in which the objects came to Berlin and how the stela was subsequently lost – and found. A careful study of the objects provides new insights into the architectural development of monumental tombs at Saqqara, and revealssomething about the identity of the craftsman who was responsible for the tombs’ decoration. Show less
