Candi Papoh/Kotes, platform miniature temple with kalamukha ornaments, rear view. Gandusari, Blitar district, East Java province, 13th-14th century 1867

This photograph was taken by Isidore Kinsbergen in the Gandusari district of East Java, sometime in the 13th or 14th century. It depicts the rear view of Candi Papoh, a miniature temple platform, complete with kalamukha ornaments. The temple is made of stone. The stone blocks are stacked to create the stepped form, decorated with carved details. The stone's inherent qualities, its weight and density, speak to the permanence and stability of religious structures. Considering the labor involved, each block would have been quarried, transported, and meticulously carved by skilled artisans. The attention to detail in the kalamukha ornaments demonstrates not just technical skill, but also deep cultural understanding and religious significance. This challenges any distinction between craft and fine art, highlighting the artistry embedded in functional and ritualistic objects. These stones connect us to the intense labor of their creation, to a world of skilled makers.