The style conforms to the mature phase of Indonesian art, as is best represented by the 9th century sculptures of Central Java. The iconology of the Buddha images, formalized during the 8th century, remained essentially unchanged throughout the following periods. However a new ideal of beauty became manifested in the course of time. This new mode which was based on an idealized formula of early medieval Northeast India (see Huntington 1984: pls. 253-256), resulted into the mellowness of form and sophisticated elegance characteristic of the mature phase of the art styles of maritime Southeast Asia.

See colour illustration