Reliëfs van de Borobudur 1875 - 1890

This is a photograph of reliefs at Borobudur, captured by C. Dietrich. Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the city of Yogyakarta, Central Java, in Indonesia. Borobudur was built during the age of the Sailendra dynasty who were of the Mataram Kingdom, but little is known about its early history. It reflects a blend of indigenous ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. These photographs were taken during a period of Dutch colonial rule, a time when European powers were keen to document and often exploit the cultural heritage of colonized regions. Dietrich's photograph serves as a document of cultural heritage, yet it also stands as a testament to the power dynamics inherent in colonial encounters. Consider how the act of photographing and archiving these reliefs is both a preservation and an appropriation of Indonesian cultural history. What do you feel as you look at this image?