Javanese Bronze Footed Offering Vessel (Talam)

Central Javanese Period, c. 700–1000 AD, Java, Indonesia

A superbly cast and elegantly proportioned bronze pedestal offering tray, known as a talam, from the Central Javanese period. The vessel is distinguished by its splayed, stepped foot that rises into a waisted neck, supporting a circular high-walled tray with an everted rim. The surface is largely undecorated save for subtle concentric banding, allowing the form and patina to speak for themselves. The bronze displays a richly variegated surface of green verdigris, testifying to its great age and burial history.

These vessels were used in ritual and temple contexts for the presentation of offerings, part of the elaborate ceremonial life of medieval Javanese Hinduism. Large bronze trays like this were central to the preparation and arrangement of ritual tools, flowers, and sacred items. Referred to in Old Javanese texts as tahas, and in modern Indonesian as talam, the term itself derives from the Tamil tattam, illustrating the cultural and religious exchanges between South and Southeast Asia during this period.

Examples of similar form have been recovered from a mid-10th century shipwreck in the Java Sea, confirming both their ceremonial function and antiquity. The spiritual and artistic traditions of Central Java during the 8th to 10th centuries would continue to influence the Hindu-Buddhist centers of East Java, enduring until the rise of Islam in the 15th century.

A quietly majestic piece, this vessel embodies the aesthetic harmony and devotional significance of early Indonesian ritual bronzework.

Excellent condition. Intact. Surface wear with expected ancient wear and casting irregularities. A small crack to the foot, with few nicks, dents, corrosion and some buff earth encrustation. Size approx. 23,0cm x 22,7cm x 14,0cm.

Provenance: British private collection.