Stone lion and eight-armed Durga slaying the demon Mahisha (former Lichte collection). Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta district, D.I. Yogyakarta province, 9th century. Possibly 1865 - 1867

This photograph by Isidore Kinsbergen depicts a stone lion and eight-armed Durga slaying the demon Mahisha, and was taken in 9th century Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The sculpture represents Durga, a principal Hindu goddess, in her warrior aspect, slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura. This iconography reflects the power of female divinity to overcome chaotic forces. Kinsbergen, a Dutch photographer, worked extensively in Java, documenting archaeological sites and cultural artifacts. His photographs contributed to European understanding, and also shaped colonial perceptions, of Indonesian history. This image creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references and historical associations. The presence of these sculptures in a colonial-era photograph invites reflection on the politics of representation and the gaze of the colonizer. To truly understand this image, we must turn to historical archives, colonial records, and postcolonial analyses, all of which are crucial to interpreting art as something contingent on social and institutional context.