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Antique Java Style Majapahit Standing Bronze Shiva Statue - Protector & Preserver - 31cm/12"
Measurements Height 31cm/11"
An Indonesian (Java) Shiva in the refined 13th-century Majapahit style, standing in poised samabhanga upon a round double-lotus pedestal. The lotus, a central symbol in Indian spirituality, represents purity, compassion, and the unfolding of great joy.
In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is one of the most revered and complex deities, known as the “Destroyer” within the holy Trimurti alongside Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver. His many aspects embody the cyclical nature of existence—creation, preservation, destruction, and rebirth—while he remains limitless, transcendent, and unchanging. Shiva is also honoured as the patron of yoga, meditation, and the arts, guiding those who seek inner stillness and spiritual transformation.
Here he is depicted with four arms, holding mala beads, a lotus flower, and a kalasha, with the fourth hand raised in a gesture of teaching. The kalasha, or sacred pot, is a symbol of abundance and the “source of life,” believed to contain amrita, the elixir of immortality, and thus associated with wisdom, prosperity, and spiritual fullness. The lotus in his hand further reinforces themes of purity and spiritual awakening.
Shiva is richly adorned, wearing an elegant robe with a sash tied at the waist and ornate jewellery, including a crown and earrings. His hair is arranged in a tripartite chignon, decorated with a small cockade, and he is discreetly embellished with a necklace, diamond-shaped earrings, the sacred yajnopavita (Brahmanical thread), and a single bangle on each wrist. The crescent moon resting upon his head symbolises the waxing and waning of time, reminding us that while the cosmos moves through cycles of change, Shiva himself stands beyond time as eternal reality.
The trilochana, or third eye, is clearly visible on his forehead, marking him as the Three-Eyed Lord. This is the eye of wisdom, free from maya—the illusion and duality of worldly life—and is regarded as the source of his untamed spiritual energy and power to burn away ignorance.
Widely venerated across India, Southeast Asia, and beyond, Shiva is invoked for inner peace, spiritual growth, and the removal of obstacles. Devotion to him goes beyond ritual, encompassing meditation, self-realisation, and the quest to understand the deeper mysteries of existence.
This Majapahit-style sculpture captures that profound symbolism, presenting Shiva as a timeless icon of transformation, cosmic balance, and the possibility of transcendence.
Scholarly Reference:
New York Metropolitan Museum Collection - Accession Number: 1987.142.15
Christie's Auction House - Sale 2562 (December 2002) - INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART
Christie's Auction House - Sale 2612 (December 2003) - INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART
Bonhams - March 2018 - Fine Southeast Asian Arts
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