Antareja

Antareja, Cirebon style. Antareja is one of many characters to appear only in Javanese versions of the Mahabharata. He is depicted as having an honest and quiet nature, and as being devoted to the old and beloved by the young. He is selfsacrificing and profoundly devout towards the Creator.

In the Mahabharata as performed in Java, Antareja is the eldest son if the powerful Pandawa Bima and of Nagagini, the daughter of the serpent god Anantaboga Batara. This supernatural heritage, which is very popular in Indonesian versions of the epic, is usually expressed by depicting Antareja figures with a fullbody covering of snakelike scales, and sometimes as a fully half human/half serpent figure.

Antareja is usually understood to have inherited certain supernatural powers from his mother in particular, including poisonous saliva, the ability to survive and move undergraound, inpenetrable scales to protect his body, and a magical ring called Mustikabumi that can revive the recently dead.

Despite his admirable character and supernatural powers, Antareja is not among the most common wayang figures, and when he does appear generally plays a supporting role.

Image: ~47cm (~68cm with handle) x ~23cm; water buffalo hide, horn, wood, pigment.