Borobudur

LIM PEI WEN 1106637

The Borobudur Temple complex is one of the greatest monuments in the world. It is of uncertain age, but thought to have been built between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century A.D. For about a century and a half it was the spiritual centre of Buddhism in Java, and then it was lost until its rediscovery in the eighteenth century.

The structure, composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock is erected on a hill in the form of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha.

For each direction there are ninety-two Dhyani Buddha statues and 1,460 relief scenes. The lowest level has 160 reliefs depicting cause and effect; the middle level contains various stories of the Buddha's life from the Jataka Tales; the highest level has no reliefs or decorations whatsoever but has a balcony, square in shape with round walls: a circle without beginning or end.

In total, Borobudur represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva's life which he or she must develop to become a Buddha or an awakened one.

What the Borobudur related to hero journey that is the varies stories of Buddhist life which is carve on the wall. When Buddha is 30 in age, The four encounters he meet during the first trip have motivated him to follow the path of the mendicant and find a spiritual solution to the problems brought about by human suffering. He left the luxurious life and become a monk for seeking solution to human suffering. He has faced many challengers and temptation from evil but all have overcome by him. Finally he achieves Buddhahood .All the journey of Buddha can fix the hero journey, from “call to adventure” to “the return”.

I think that the Borobudur is very spectacular architecture and it has record stories of Buddha. The whole building is quite unique in sculpt and delicacy in carving skill. In conclusion, the Borobudur is a beautiful architecture for me .If I have the chance to travel in Indonesia, it is worth to go there to have a look.

Visit to Islamic Museum

Chew Bert Zian      1105245

 Garden Pavillion

Cup

Here are two sketches of mine in the museum, there are few more in the sketch book.

The thing that I find interesting is the architecture part.

The different buildings of mosque in different country are so amazing.

The way they plan and build the mosque are unimaginable.

I like the one from China, Iraq and Indonesia.

The thing that I have learned in the museum are the culture of Islam, and the differences of their culture with China and india.

In the museum we get a chance to look at all the daily necessities they used, what they wear and their weapon.

The furniture they used were refined and the carve on each of it are so exquisite. The carve apply on it always contain their culture spirit in it, and got their own meaning in it.

 This is what i had learned during the visit to museum.

Borrobudur as Hero's Journey

Ng Ruo Xin 1104814

There is a total of 9 levels in Borrobudur. There are 5 rectangular platforms -- each decrease in perimeter after each platform -- and 3 circular platforms. At the top, locates a round monumental stupa. 

As one journeys up the steps, he/she starts at the base which sybmolizes human desires and earthly pleasures. One will walk counterclockwise on the platform. Each platform wall is decorated with different kinds of relief and carvings of Buddha. The hero is on his/her way to escape from lusts and finds freedom at the end of the 5 platforms. 

When they reach the 3 circular platforms, it indicates that they have successfully been freed from all worldly desires and pleasures. Above the 3 platforms is a flat balcony that has many small stupas which contain statues of Buddha in them, including the one big stupa in the middle. It symbolizes Nirvana, which is where Buddha dwells and resides. It is a state of enlightenment in Buddhism. 

I believe the hero's journey relates to this with the crossing of threshold that began at the base of Borrobudur. Hero leaves his old life and begins to find a way out of suffering and lusts. He has achieved his goal when he's finally freed from selfish desires and has reached enlightenment. 

The journey to find yourself is always a hard way up. There are many temptations and discouragements I will face if I take on this road. But if I fix my eyes on the ultimate finish line of being close with my God, it makes the journey worth it no matter how hard it is. The borrobudur is symbolic for the Buddhists to lose themselves to be pure and unattached to the things of the world. It serves as a way for them to realize the road to get there is not easy but is not impossible. 

Sources of reference:

http://www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com/2011/02/27/borobudur-temple-into-the-9-sacred-steps-to-nirvana-2/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/592

http://www.buddhanet.net/boro.htm

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/borobudur-temple/

http://www.hillmanwonders.com/borobudur/borobudur.htm

http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/boro_nav/bnav_level_1/2revealed_borofrm.html

Correction for Gladiator Movie.

Ng Ruo Xin 1104814

The plot of the movie relates in some way to the Hero's Journey. When Maximus was asked by Emperor Marcus Aurelius to take over the leadership in Rome, it was the beginning of his journey as a hero. He also crossed the first threshold when he escaped the death execution and ran for his family. It was his lowest point in life (aka belly of the whale) when he discovered his entire family was killed and hung. From that point on, he left his old life as general and became a slave and eventually a gladiator in the arena. Along the way he met with many kinds of help and support namely Proximo, Juba and Lucilla. In the end it led him to face with Commodus -- the ultimate boon -- where they battled for their lives. In the end, both Maximus and Commodus died in the arena and Maximus reunited with his family in the afterlife. The ending of the movie doesn't really fit with the Hero's Journey because he died and didn't manage to cross the return threshold to put the wisdom he had gained into his life.

The characters of the movie are mostly real historical figures. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was in fact the real emperor from 161 to 180 CE and his son, Commodus, was the heir to the empire. Commodus was a much more gruesome and morally distorted ruler in real life. But he did not kill his father, Marcus Aurelius because his death was believed to be caused by plague. 

Maximus Decimus Meridius was a fictional character and does not exist in history. But he was inspired by the real general of Emperor Marcus, Avidius Cassius, who later became an emperor himself. In the movie, Maximus killed Commodus and later died in the same fight. In real, Commodus was not killed in the arena but was murdered in a bath by a wrestler. Besides that, Proximo, who is the slave trader that found Maximus, was also a fictional character. 

During the ruling of Commodus, he tried to rename the Roman Colony, the senate, Romanian, and months of year after his own title and name. He used his authority as emperor to elevate himself in almost all things to show his sovereignty in Rome. The downfall of Roman Empire was not because of Commodus' rule. Factors such as corruption in politics, constant conflict between the senate and emperor, invasion of barbarians, and decline in moral values contributed to the falling of the entire empire. 

Sources of reference:

http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-empire/causes-for-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire.htm

http://www.exovedate.com/the_real_gladiator_one.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator_(2000_film) 

http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/showcase/wardgladiator7.html

Plato's allegory of the cave

Lim Pei Wen 1106637

The Allegory of the Cave is described and implied that people who have not receive a real education, have not seen the real world, they only saw the shadow on wall which is reflected by the puppet, and they think it is the reality which happened in world.
Plato lets Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Plato's Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. Someone who understood the nature of the world and the whole of their society would depend on the shadows on the wall. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall do not make up reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners.The prisoner who is freed from cave was compelled to look at the fire at first. He would be struck blind and try to turn his gaze back toward the shadows. After some time on the surface, however, the freed prisoner would acclimate. He would see more and more things around him, until he could look upon the Sun. He would understand that the Sun is the "source of the seasons and the years’’, is in a certain way the cause of all those things .He conscious that the life of cave is a fiction and meaningless.


Although he would like to stay under the sun and make deep in thought, he won’t do that because his duty is return to cave and let others know these gnosis and the truth. After re-enter the cave, he will not be able to see anything in dark because his eyes are not used to it. He will blunder stupidly and nobody will believe what he said. People will laugh at him because his word sounded doesn’t make sense. Some of them will try to kill him because he wants to change people’s mind. He didn’t confront with the others prisoners because he need more time to adapt the dark in cave. In order to communicate with the prisoners, he needs to readapt the environment to communicate with others, even though he has to die.

How the plato cave fits to hero journey:The first stage of hero journey is “ordinary world”. The cave that prisoner live is their ordinary world. All of them live in dark and watch shadows projected on the wall,they all think that which is reality happen in world. Second stage call to adventure is one of the prisoner tries to go out of the cave, means that he accept the natural call.The process for going out the cave is difficult. The sunshine make he feel dizzy when he arrived the hole of cave (Crossing the Threshold) After he is successful to go out the cave ,he would be able to see anything because the sunshine is too glaring. He may experience the process from dizzy by sunshine, feel painful and gradually get used the sunshine. Finally he know that all of the light souce are come from sun,and the formation of shadow is because the sunlight shine through,etc. Sun is symbolized genuinely good, genuine knowledge and origin of the world ,all of this have discover by the prisoner .Finally he understand the truth and see the world as it really is (tests/Enemies, the ordeal, Reward). He decided to return the cave and tell others the reality of world.(Return,Elixir)


From the plato allergy of cave, I think that the prisoners who had bundled in the cave can represent the traditional values, ideals and beliefs. The traditional value had limited people to think out of the box, they don’t dare on try a new thing. The prisoner who is freed from cave represent they get rid of the traditional rules, brave to challenge all the unknown things.Even though they faced many difference kind of challenges, they still can be strong and tough to achieve their target.The allergory is good and inspire people.


sources: wikipidea

Islamic Art Museum, KL

Goh Pang Hong - 1103926

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (After correction)

 

 

Tea Caddy-Silver with repouse motif(india)

 

 

 

 Bottle-Surahi & plate
(India,19th century AD/13 th century AH



Carved wooden throne- Minbar

(Dated 19879-80 AD/1297 AH)

Rosewater casket

Silver with gold polish(18th century AD/12th century AH, India)

Toe knob sandals (  Padukas)

Carved ivory.19th century AD/13th century AH

Hairpins
Gold,Malay Peninsula,(c.20th century AD/ 14th century AH

Necklaces
Gold filigree and gem set.
Malay Peninsula.

 

Arch.
This arch was part of the interior construction of a house once owned by a Muslim Indonesia aristocrat.It consists off five arches of which the central section is the main doorway flanked by 4 intricately carved screen panels.It is a composition demonstrating a hybrid of culture influences, reflective of Indonesia's culture diversity-Malay,Chinese and Indian.

Container-Wood, carved and painted.

MalayArchipelago

19th centuty AD/13th century AH

Khatib's chair-silver and leather

India

1965 AD/1385 AH

Qibla compass and sundial

Engraced brass

Iran(19 th century Ad/13 th century AH

Enbroidered silk coat

!9th century AD/123th century AH

 Chess board

India(18th century AD/early 13th century

Icense burner

Cast bronze with openwork decoration

Khorasan, Iran

11th-12th century AD/5th-6th century AH

Woman's Headdress

Embroided cotton base with applied silver and brass ornamentation.

weight:5.64 kg

Central Asia

18th century AD/12th century AH

Sultan Abdul Jalil Kris/keris

Silver sheath,watered,repousse,granulated decoration

Riau, Malay Archipelago

1712AD / 1124 AH

Mini Al-Qur'an

 

The day i go to islamic art museum with my friend by train.The exterior of museum looks quite clean ,and the islamic style is very strong. Overall form of Islamic architecture developed an infinite space to exude a relaxing.The museum itself is pretty neat and clean. Every room has an intricate domed ceiling which is very big and had impressed me!

The domed ceiling there is interested me , the designed use the radial pattern to create a shape,decorate with gold floral which add the modern sense.Atmosphere there is good, spacious enough and full of characteristic of islamic pattern.After this trip, I found many interested traditional costume which is beautiful and exquisite.There also a lot of  Malay jewellery there.Some of it is delicate and the texture looksvery nice.I also get some deeper understanding of Malaysia 's
culture and history.And suprisely I found that the person who had printed in our notes!

 

LIM PEI WEN 1106637



Islamic Art Museum

NG RUO XIN  

1104814

Burlington house holy family_LimPeiWen 1106637

Madonna and Child with St Anne and the Young St John

1507-08

Charcoal with white chalk heightening on paper, 141,5 x 106 cm

National Gallery, London

In my opinion, this artwork shows a harmony family.

The character in this artwork including 2 women and 2 children.

Two children see each other and one of a woman is looking at the  baby.

It had conveyed a blissful atmosphere.

Women eyes revealed sight of love.

But i wondering why one of woman point her finger up , and the tone of that hand are different too.

The tone of that hand looks similiar to the background ,no so obvious.

I think the point-up finger had affected the overall harmony of the artwork.

However, i still think the warm colour of the artwork give me a very peaceful feeling.

Vitruvian Man_Lim Pei Wen 1106637

Leonardo da Vinci, "Vitruvian Man" 1487

Pen, ink, watercolour and metalpoint on paper, 343 x 245 mm
(Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice)

The Vitruvian Man which is famous artwork drawing by Leonardo daVinci in 1487.

It is perfect propotion of human figure created by him.
In this work,Leonardo using a man fitting his body to a circle and a square by adjusting
the position of his arms and legs.
Human figure can be symmetrically inscribed within a circle and square line.
And we can see that if human in static status,the hand and leg is a straight line / in a square.
If human is moving, the moving area is within a circle,that is impossible out of this circle area.
The hands are same length to the half body,
the length of the body looks like is equal to seven head's length.
Because he uses the technique of drawing circle and square,
the human figure become more balance and stable.

The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

Goh Pang Hong (1103926)

The golden proportion

Chew Bert Zian

1105245

The ‘Vitruvian Man’ by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most iconic images of Renaissance art.
The man's body is so fit and muscular, which can be say as the ideal human proportion/golden proportion of human. The man's body is describe by using 2 geometric shapes, square and circle.
No matter how the man stretch his arms, his arms will always touch the square outline, and his legs will always touch the outline of the circle. These 2 shapes is use to draw the ideal measurement of a body, which show out the balance and stable of the man's proportion.

The golden proportion

Ng Ruo Xin 1104814

The Vitruvian man, aka Golden Proportion by Leonardo Da Vinci was a discovery that formed the basis for the Renaissance architecture. The vitruvius theory reflects the symmetry and proper proportion for buildings as well as arts. It also shows the relation between art and science. According to this theory, the art of the human body proportion is similar to the sciences of architecture as both are made stable because of their correct proportions.

The Vitruvian man was created based on Da Vinci's idea of the ideal too. The body of the male is fit and muscular which even the society today agrees.The ideal measurement of the human body can be drawn using a circle and a square. The outstretched hands touch the circumference of the circle and the sides of the square, as well as the feet. The intersection in the center of all edges of the square is right on the genitals of the body. A proportionate height of the human body is made up of exactly the height of seven heads.

But why did Da Vinci used precisely a circle and a square and not other shapes? Despite the geometrical reasons, maybe there is a deeper meaning. Does the circle represent some kind of spiritual relationship and the square material relationship with humans? Is the drawing of a human body in anyway related to the ways of the universe?