This photograph shows a relief that can be seen on the base of the Shiva temple within the complex of the Hindu-Javanese Candi Prambanan, a Borobudur associated site built in the 9th century. The two other main temples within the compound are dedicated to the Hindu deities Vishnu and Brahma. Two ‘Kalpatarus’ (mythical trees that fulfil desires in Hindu belief) flanking a standing lion, which in Hinduism represents Parvathi, the consort of the deity Shiva, can be seen on the relief. The two bird figures with human heads resting under the canopy of the ‘Kalpatarus’ are bird angels, known as the ‘Kinara-Kinari’. This photograph is part of a portfolio containing an extensive photographic survey detailing the Candi Prambanan. It was compiled by Dr. Isaac Groneman, a Dutch scholar of Javanese history and culture. He was assisted by pioneer Indonesian photographer Kassian Cephas, who was responsible for the pictorial documentation during the excavation of the site from 1889 to 1890.
