HINDU IMAGE FROM SARAWAK. PAL 
“Tndian images of Ganesa are found seated in three different 
postures: (a) cross-legged, (b) one of the knees upraised and the 
other lying on the throne; (c) the right foot overhanging from the. 
throne and resting on the ground and the left leg fing on the 
throne (subhasana). In Archaeologisch Onderzoek of Java en 
Madura, Vol. Il, Plates 40-42 are reproduced photographs of an 
image of Ganesa from Singasari in Jaya (now in the Ethnographi- 
eal Museum of Leiden) which is seated with the right knee up- 
raised and the left leg lying on the seat (surrounded by skulls). 
But in the Indian Museum there are two (Ja. 5 and 19) images of 
Ganesa from Java that are seated with the soles of the two feet 
joined. Photograph of Ja. 19 is enclosed herewith. This posture 
is un-Indian and appears to indicate a period of time when the 
Javanese image-makers had outlivedthe trammels of Indian tradition.. 
In the photograph of the Borneo image the feet are not clear and 
probably mutilated. But there cannot be any doubt about the: 
posture being the same as that of the two Javanese images of 
Ganesha in the Indian Museum, that is to say, seated with the: 
soles of the two feet joined. The trunk (sunda) hangs down in 
a manner which suggests that, as im the Indian examples, it 
presumably rested on a bowl of sweets. he head-dress appears to- 
be an elaborate conventional form of the jata, the “matted locks ” 
which Siva wears despite the incongruity in the case of Ganesha !. 
If it is a Jata, the image must represent Ganesha in an ascetic 
aspect, seated in meditation. This would explain the contempla-. 
tive expression. But ascetic and contemplative Ganeshas are not 
known in India. 
“The Javanese images are assignable to the thirteenth 
century A. D., the age of the Brahmanic temples of Brambanan 
and Singasari. ‘The Borneo image, which in its posture seems to. 
disclose Javanese influence, is probably to be assigned to about the 
same epoch but may be somewhat earlier. The earliest Brahmanic 
inscriptions found in Borneo (published by Vogel in a Dutch 
Journal of 1917 or 1918) are assigned to the fifth century A. D. 
This image of Ganesha shows that Brahmanic culture flourished 
in Borneo for a long period. for further particulars about the 
types of Ganesha images reference may be made to H. Krishna 
SastrV’s South-Indian Tages, Ds wl6o-1 7 oe kamds MeavAr Gopinath 
Rao’s Hlements of Hindu Iconography, Vol. i Part IL, pp. 35-67. 
The discovery of this image created gyeat interest in Sarawak. 
Thousands flocked to the Sarawak Museum to see it. The Museum 
attendants had the time of their lives seeing that the god disposed 
of all the offerings made to it. 
The accompanying illustration is from an enlarged photograph. 
by Mrs. F. F. Boult, who tells me that she gave another one to the 
Sikhs in Kuching, at their request, for their Temple. 
R. A. Soc., No. 85, 1922. 
