{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O24763"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O24763/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2301/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2301/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF2301","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O24763/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O24763","accessionNumber":"IS.1-1968","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"Agastya","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"A relief carving shows the sage Agastya set standing frontal against a plain back slab with an arched top that comes to a point above the sage's headdress. He stands barefoot on a plain projecting base. His arms hang down by his sides and he holds a water pot in his left hand and a rosary in his right. His face is partly damaged with an abraded nose and lips. He is shown with twisted locks piled high on his head above a beaded headband. A fat twisted ringlet hangs down on either side of each shoulder. He has down cast eyes and a drooping moustache which hangs down over the twisted tresses of his beard which are looped and bound in under his chin.  He has long ears with stretched holes, but no earrings. He is ornamented otherwise with a pointed torque round his neck, elaborate armbands on his upper arms, and beaded bracelets on his wrists and ankles. Other than this his torso is bare, except for a broad sash which is draped over his left shoulder and looped across his chest.  A roll of fat lies under his chest above the protuberance of his rounded belly which overhangs his dhoti.  This is folded over at the top edge and held in place by a segmented belt underneath which a girdle is wound twice round his body.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"stone","id":"AAT11176"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"stone","categories":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BF2301"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"47A (VA)","id":"THES49797"},"free":"","case":"EXP","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Java","id":"x30310"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"central"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 10th century","earliest":"0895-01-01","latest":"1004-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"94","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"43.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"26.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from William Clayton Ltd.","historicalContext":"Agastya was a great yogi who, by his devotion to Shiva, attained <i>swarupya</i> or the same form as his god.  He is represented in Shiva's ascetic form and is recognisable by his corpulent figure and bearing, together with the rosary and water vessel (<i>kundika</i>) which he holds.  Agastya acquired the status of a lesser deity and was widely worshipped in south India.  The cult appears to have been established in Java by at least the 7th century.  An 8th-century inscription in one of the earliest Hindu temples in central Java indicates that it was associated with both Shiva and Agastya.  He is variously known in Java as Shiva-guru and Bhatara (Bhattaraka Guru).\n\nBroad sashes are not a common feature in stone images. They are though seen in the narrative panels at Borobudur (Girard-Gislan et al). The copper alloy figure of Avolokitesvara from Sragen in Central Java (thought to date from the 11th century) in the National Museum at Jakarta (inventory no. 7515) also is shown with a sash across his chest. See also the figure of Agastya from Chandi Banon also in the Museum at Jakarta, illustrated in Bernet Kempers (plate 41) who is shown with a sacred thread as well as a sash.","briefDescription":"Stone sculpture of the sage Agastya, Central Java, Indonesia, ca. 10th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bernet Kempers, A.J., <u>Ancient Indonesian Art</u>, C.P.J.Van Der Peet, Amsterdam, 1959"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Agastya\r\n900–1000\r\nAgastya was a famous yogi who by his devotion to Shiva\r\nattained the same form as his god. He is recognisable by\r\nhis bearded, corpulent figure and by the rosary and watervessel\r\nthat he holds. Agastya was worshipped in southern\r\nIndia and his cult was established in Java by at least the\r\n7th century.\r\nVolcanic stone\r\nIndonesia (Central Java)\r\nMuseum no. IS.1-1968","date":{"text":"14/06/2011","earliest":"2011-06-14","latest":"2011-06-14"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.1-1968"],"accessionNumberNum":"1","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1968,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-21","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-13","availableToBook":false}}