Tuff head, Kingdom of Majapahit

• Female head, possibly a deity or dignitary of theMajapahit court, Sumatra, 13th/15th century. Made of tuff, a volcanic rock formed by the accumulation of ash and debris thrown up by eruptions.
• Although the Majapahit kingdom developed from Java, it features a stylized headdress in the art of Sumatra at the time, as well as large ear rings. The kingdom expanded into Sumatra in 1377, annexing Sriwijaya. This head therefore dates from the late 14th century.
• Head only H 9 cm x W 7 cm x D 7.5 cm
• H on base 16.5 cm
• Provenance: Claude de Marteau Collection
• Sold with certificate of origin.
• 3 Majapahit heads are available (unit price)

Kingdom of Majapahit

The kingdom of Majapahit, founded in 1293 on the island of Java, was one of the most powerful empires in insular Southeast Asia. Its capital was located in Trowulan, and its golden age took place in the XIVᵉ century, during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk (1350-1389) and his famous Prime Minister Gajah Mada. The latter’s ambition was to unify the entire Malay archipelago, the Nusantara, and Majapahit extended its influence over a vast region including Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Sulawesi, the Malay Peninsula(southern Thailand) and even parts of the Philippines.Majapahit was a centralized state based on a complex network of vassal kingdoms and alliances. Religiously, it was distinguished by a refined syncretism between Hinduism and Buddhism, reflected in its art, literature in Old Javanese, and architecture, notably the red-brick temples with their rich bas-reliefs.The kingdom’s decline began in the 15th century, weakened by internal conflicts and the rise of Muslim kingdoms such as the Sultanate of Demak, which finally supplanted it around 1527. Majapahit remains a powerful symbol in the Indonesian collective memory, inspiring to this day the idea of national unity around the concept of Nusantara, a kind of unity in diversity.