The continuity of pre-Islamic motifs in Javanese Mosque ornamentation, Indonesia

The Continuity of Pre-Islamic Motifs in Javanese Mosque Ornamentation assesses the continuity and significance of Hindu-Buddhist design motifs in Islamic mosques in Java. The research starts from a belief that typical Javanese ornaments were consistently used both in pre-Islamic Hindu-Buddhist temples and Islamic mosques in Indonesia. This phenomenon was a result of syncretic Javanese Islam, composed of mystic animism, Hindu-Buddhism, and Islam, which differed from orthodox Islam in the Near East and Arab world. The volume investigates four pre-Islamic motifs in Javanese mosque ornamentation from the 15th century to the present day: prehistoric tumpals, Hindu-Buddhist kala-makaras, lotus buds, and scrolls, all of which have symbolic connotations and are used to decorate sanctuaries.