UNKNOWN ARTIST, NORTH BALI, TWO MEMBERS OF THE KORAWA,BAGADATA AND ASWATAMA
LOr. 3390-162
Drawing on Dutch paper, watermark Concordia, countermark Vdl, 34.4 x 42.2 cm
Two men in wayang style, but wearing modern sashes with flowers and dots are facing each other, A text in Balinese script bottom left says: ‘’bagadata”, by which Bagadata an ally of the Korawa is meant. He is defeated by Arjuna in the Old Javanese Bharatayuddha. The text bottom right says: ‘bangbangswatama”, Bangbang Aswatama is meant. Aswatama is a son of Drona, on of the sages-teachers of the Korawa and the Pandawa. Bangbang means someone who belongs to the class of brahmans. Bang means red, and this colour is associated with fire and with the god Brahma. The brahmans are associated with red and Brahma, hence the epithet bangbang for a Brahman.
No specific meeting between Bagadatta and Aswatama is meant here. It is probable that the artist wanted to portray them merely as representatives of the Korawa party in his drawings.
