Accession No

1884.4.1-2


Description

Prasen. Zodiac beaker. Copper alloy cup embossed with two rows of figures. On the top row, 12 male and female figures, some in profile and some facing front, representing the Javanese months or seasons. The bottom row with 12 signs of the zodiac: twins, a female figure, lion, crab, scales, bull, ram, maker or fish, water pot, prawn, bow and arrow and scorpion. Small traces of gilt and red underpainting (cinnabar) remaining on surface. Hole in base and side of cup. Conical lid with two rows of raised dots.


Place

Asia; Southeast Asia; Indonesia; Java; Central Java; Magelang; Borobudur Temple


Period

14th century Majapahit


Source

Hardwicke, Thomas (Major-General) [collector]; Fitzwilliam Museum [transfer]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

1884.4.1-2; MAA: Z 19941; Z 19127


Cultural Affliation


Material

Metal; copper


Local Term

Prasen or siwamba


Measurements

120mm x 165mm x 120mm Weight 0.3kg


Events

Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card for Z 19941: 'Z 19941 (see 1884.4) S.E. ASIA. JAVA. Ancient Javanese cup, embossed with the signs of the zodiac, gounf in the ruins of the Temple of Boro Bodo, Java. Presented by Major-General Thomas Hadwick, 1827.'
Event Date
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card for 1884.4: '1884.4 (see Z 19941) ASIA. SOUTH EAST ASIA. JAVA. Thin metal tub-shaped CUP with cover, embossed with a double row of figures, 13 in the upper and 12 in the lower. H. 6" D. of base 3 1/2". D. of top 4 1/2". Found in the ruins of the Temple of Boro-Bodo.
'Transferred from Fitzwilliam Museum. presented by Maj Gen Thomas Hardwick. 1827.'
Event Date
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (References)
See illustration of a cup with very similar designs in Crawfurd, John. 1820. History of the Indian Archipelago. Containing an account of the manners, arts, languages, religions, institutions, and commerce of its inhabitants. Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co. Plate 8: 'Fig. 1 Antique Metallic Bowl, in the Author's Possession, Found in Java. Fig 2. Figures on the Bowl, the second line representing the signs of the Zodiac, and the first line supposed to represent the signs of the Javanese Months or Seasons.'
Event Date 1820
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Acquisition Details)
Register notes "Transferred from the Fitzwilliam Museum to which institution it was presented by Major-General Thomas Hardwick, 1827". Transfered to MAA in 1884
Event Date 1827
Author: maa


Context (Field collection)
Accession Register 1884, p.4, entry dated December 9th, notes : "Found in the remains of the temple of Boro-Bodo, Java"
Event Date 9/12/1884
Author: rachel hand


Description (Physical description)
Accession Register 1884, p.4, entry dated December 9th:
1884.4. Thin metal tub shaped cup, with cover. Embossed with a double row of figures: 13 in the upper and 12 in the lower. Height (with cover) 6”.

Event Date 9/12/1884
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Acquisition Details)
Accession Register 1884, p.4, entry dated December 9th: 'Found in the ruins of the Temple of Boro-Bodo, Java.
Transferred from the Fitzwilliam Museum to which institution it was presented by Major-General Thomas Hardwick, 1827.'
Event Date 9/12/1884
Author: Mark Elliott


Description (Physical description)
Display Caption, Maudslay Hall, 1990-2020: '2. Cup. Ancient Javanese cup embossed with the signs of the zodiac. It was found in the ruins of Boro Bodo, Java.
Java, Indonesia
c & d. Major-General Thomas Hardwick, 1827
Z19?41'

Event Date 1990
Author: Mark Elliott


Description (Physical description)
CMS Description for Z 19127 [1884.4.2]: ‘A metal ?lid, round with conical top’.
Event Date 11/5/1994
Author: Mark Elliott


Description (CMS Description)
CMS Description for 1884.4.1: 'Thin metal tub-shaped cup, with cover; embossed with a double row of figures; 13 in the upper and 12 in the lower'
Event Date 12/7/1994
Author: Mark Elliott


Description (CMS Description)
Ancient Javanese metal cup. Thin and tub-shaped. Embossed with double row of figures representing signs of the zodiac, thirteen in the upper and twelve in the lower row
Event Date 12/7/1994
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Lid (1884.4.2): 'A metal lid which is round with conical top. There is simple decoration on the lid consisting of raised metal bands with circles.'
Event Date 15/1/2018
Author: Mark Elliott


Description (Physical description)
On display in the Maudslay Hall, MAA, with the caption:
'2. The Borobodur Cup. Ancient metal cup embossed with two rows of auspicious symbols. It was found in the ruins of the world’s largest Buddhist temple at Borobudur and given to Thomas Hardwicke, perhaps by Stamford Raffles, between 1814 and 1823.
Magelang, Java, Indonesia.
Collected by Thomas Hardwicke, 1827.
Transferred to MAA 9 December 1884. Z 19941
Event Date 18/9/2020
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Amendments / updates)
The lid was separated from the beaker at an unknown date following its accessioning into the MAA collection and prior to its being given a Z number in the 1970s or 1980s. It was initially attributed to ?Southeast Asia and later to ?Burma. It was photographed on 15 January 2018 as part of an inventory of collections from Myanmar. It was identified from its image and description as possibly the missing lid for 1884.4 and the two elements were reunited on 2 September 2023 and found to fit.
Event Date 2/10/2023
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Analysis)
Beaker 1884.4.1 analysed using XRF instrumentation by Dr Agnese Benzonelli on uncleaned surfaces. Initial analysis suggest base and sides are 10% tin (Sn), 15% lead (Pb), and 73 copper (Cu) and trace elements, R.Hand 13/03/2023'


Event Date 13/3/2023
Author: rachel hand


Description (Physical description)
Two cracks in metal radiating downward from rim, on one side. Hole in metal in base and 2 in the sides.
Event Date 3/4/2023
Author: rachel hand


Description (Physical description)
Copper alloy cup embossed with two rows of figures. On the top row, 12 male and female figures, some in profile and some facing front, representing the Javanese months or seasons. The bottom row with 12 signs of the zodiac: twins, a female figure, lion, crab, scales, bull, ram, maker or fish, water pot, prawn, bow and arrow and scorpion. Small traces of gilt and red underpainting (cinnabar) remaining on surface. Hole in base and side of cup.
Event Date 19/7/2023
Author: Mark Elliott


Context (Analysis)
Other examples of 'zodiac cups' at the British Museum and illustrated in Crawfurd (1820) are dated 1243-1252 in the Javanese Saka Calendar, or 1321-1330 CE. There is no date on this object but all the cups or beakers at the British Museum are recorded as 14th century. This has been added to the Period field.
Event Date 19/7/2023
Author: Mark Elliott


FM:91970

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