Sojourner Antiques: A garuda motif krobongan ornament

Saturday 16 March 2013

A garuda motif krobongan ornament

wood, gold-leaf, vermillon and iron components

circa 20th century

Surakarta, Central Java

The below is an example of how such krobongan ornaments are used in traditional Javanese architecture. It is hung in the centre of the krobongan as a symbol of nobility and characterises the sacred space which the central room within the inner house, known as the senthong tengah which is draped with cinde (patola) cloth or with exquisitely coloured wood plans coloured in imitation of those textiles, where rites of passage such as marriage and funerals are held and where it is a chamber intended for fertility rites and serves as resting place for the rice goddess, Dewi Sri. This example is from Kota Gede, a suburb of current day Yogyakarta.