Java’s First Photographer: Kassian Cephas (1845-1912)
The first rather rambling title just for This particular article ran nearly three lines as the idea tried to convey of which Kassian Cephas (a) was the first Javanese professional photographer; (b) at the request of Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI (r. 1855–1877), was appointed as official photographer at the court of Jogjakarta; (c) photographed many monuments of Hindu Javanese civilization in Central Java.
Born in Jogjakarta, he became a pupil of Christina Petronella Philips-Steven, a Protestant Missionary in Jogjakarta. In 1860 he was baptized as well as took the name Cephas. Later, he began using Cephas as his family name. Cephas married Dina Rakijah, a Christian Javanese woman, at a church in Jogjakarta on 22 January 1866. The couple raised one daughter as well as three sons: Naomi (b. 1866), Sem (b. 1870), Fares (b. 1872), as well as Jozef (b. 1881). Sem, his eldest son, became a photographer as well as painter in his father’s studio. A biography of Cephas, entitled Cephas, Yogyakarta: Photography inside the Service of the Sultan, by Gerrit Knaap, published by the Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (KITLV), Leiden, 1999, presents a selection of 98 pictures: portraits of the royal family, court dances, town views, as well as of course the Borobudur.
Easy access to the court enabled Cephas to produce documentary work on its buildings, among others the Taman Sari Water Castle (today one of the main tourist attractions of Jogjakarta). He also recorded the various keraton (royal court) dances as well as additional expressions of court culture. He was moreover able to engage in portrait photography of the members of the royal family as well as the sultan himself.
As official court photographer, he immortalized the court’s interactions with the colonial officers as well as visitors. An example of the latter can be the recording of the visit of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand to Jogjakarta, in gratitude for which the King presented him using a case of three jewelled buttons.
His most important work was, however, related to the many ancient buildings as well as monuments in Central Java. This particular includes, firstly, the Lara Jonggrang complex in Prambanan, which he photographed so precisely of which these photos could later be used for the restoration of the temples. as well as secondly, the photographs of the hidden foot of Borobudur.
Borobudur was discovered in 1814 by H. C. Cornelius, a Dutch officer inside the Engineering Corps. At the request of Lieutenant Governor General Thomas Stanford Raffles, Cornelis had been sent to investigate the existence of a big monument on a hill inside the jungle near the village of Bumisegoro. the idea took Cornelius as well as his 200 men two months to cut down trees, burn down vegetation as well as dig away the earth as well as ash coming from Mount Merapi to reveal the monument. nevertheless due to the danger of collapse, Cornelis could not unearth all galleries. The report of his findings to Raffles included various drawings.
Borobudur before restoration at the end of the 1800s
Hartmann, a Dutch administrator of the Kedu region, continued Cornelius’ work, as well as in 1835, the whole complex was finally unearthed. His interest in Borobudur seemed more personal than official. Hartmann did not submit any reports of his activities, in particular, the alleged story of which he discovered the large statue of Buddha inside the main stupa. In 1842, Hartmann carried out an official investigation of the main dome, nevertheless what he discovered can be unknown as well as the main stupa remains empty.
The site served for some time, largely as a source of artefacts for “souvenir hunters” as well as income for thieves. In 1882, the chief inspector of cultural artefacts recommended of which Borobudur be entirely disassembled as well as reliefs to be relocated into museums. This particular was based on his belief of which the monument was largely unstable. The government ordered of which a further thorough investigation be undertaken to assess the actual condition of the complex. The resulting report fortunately recommended of which the site be left intact.
Borobudur did, however, remain a source of souvenirs; parts of its sculptures were looted, some even with colonial-government consent. In 1896, King Chulalongkorn, who visited Java as well as Jogjakarta, requested, as well as was allowed, to take home eight cartloads of sculptures taken coming from Borobudur. Several of these are today on display inside the Java Art room of The National Museum in Bangkok.
Due to the lack of written records covering the construction of Borobudur, much of the monument can be still enveloped in a cloud of uncertainty. as well as when, in 1885, a hidden structure under the base of the temple was accidentally discovered by Isaac Groneman, first chairman of the Archaeological Union, a completely new layer was added to This particular unknown.
The hidden foot was originally the first level of the temple; the idea contains 160 relief panels. Why This particular first level was closed as well as turned into a completely new foundation can be not known. One theory states of which during construction the idea was needed to prevent subsidence of the monument. Another can be of which the original base was incorrectly designed. Whatever the reason, the 160 panels (not all of them completed when the original first level was encased) were enclosed in a completely new foundation.
In 1891, at the request of Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII, the panels were photographed by his court photographer, Kassian Cephas. the idea should be emphasised of which these photographs are the only ones in existence of which depict the panels. The hidden foot was opened panel by panel, as well as after having been photographed, closed again. The budget for the exercise was prepared by the colonial administration, nevertheless for unknown reasons, Cephas received 3,000 guilders of the budgeted 9,000. Maybe the idea was felt of which a native (photographer) operated at a different cost-level, or maybe the original plan to produce 300 photographs was considered excessive as well as unnecessary. inside the end, 160 photographs of panels were produced, plus an extra four providing an overview of the site.
Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI
For a long time the idea was unknown what was depicted on the reliefs of the hidden foot. Only in 1929 was the French orientalist, Sylvain Levi (1863-1935), able to relate the panels to the Buddhist text of Mahakarmawibhangga, which had been discovered in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1922. Apparently, the reliefs illustrate the theory of karma—the idea of which an individual’s actions determine his fate, inside the here as well as today, or in a future life! Quite a few could therefore be deciphered, nevertheless the meaning of others can be still being discussed. The reading-sequence of the reliefs starts at the eastern stairs as well as skirts the temple clockwise. The panels are therefore to be read coming from right to left.
inside the south-east corner, the hidden foot has been left open to offer a glimpse of what remains hidden.
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Java’s First Photographer: Kassian Cephas (1845-1912)
Java’s First Photographer: Kassian Cephas (1845-1912)