Candi Panataran (Temple Complex), Pendopo Terrace, unidentified reliefs 66-70 (Partly Sri Tanjung'story; inscription above no 68 reads mahisa), westside. Possibly 1867

This is a photograph taken by Isidore Kinsbergen, sometime before 1905, of the Candi Panataran temple complex in East Java. The image captures a series of stone reliefs, numbers 66 to 70, on the Pendopo Terrace, which are believed to partly depict the story of Sri Tanjung. The reliefs offer a glimpse into the cultural and religious narratives prevalent in Java, likely dating back to the Majapahit era. The temple itself was a significant religious and political center. Kinsbergen's photograph is a documentary record of the colonial gaze and its relationship to Southeast Asian culture. His work was part of a broader effort to catalogue and understand the cultural heritage of the Dutch East Indies, often serving colonial interests. Understanding the social dynamics of the time, including the role of religion and the relationship between the local population and the colonial administration, is crucial to interpreting these images. Resources such as colonial archives, ethnographic studies, and local historical accounts can provide valuable context.