A Pragmatic Analysis of Carving Ornaments at the Mantingan Mosque in Jepara, Indonesia

Abstract

The Mantingan Mosque, the second oldest mosque after the Great Mosque of Demak is located in Mantingan Village, Tahunan District, Jepara Regency. It was built in 1481 Saka or 1559 AD by Sultan Hadlirin. This mosque is rich in white stone carvings that reflect the influence of Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese and Islamic culture. This paper investigates the implications and pragmatic power of the carved ornaments on the interior walls of the Mantingan Mosque. The study used observation and interview techniques as data collection methods. Data was collected through interactions with mosque administrators, visitors, traders and the community around the mosque. Contextual analysis was used to process the data. Findings show that the carved ornaments in the Mantingan Mosque did not merely have a role as aesthetic elements, but also had deep pragmatic power in social and religious contexts. These ornaments show how Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese and Islamic cultural elements did not only combine visually but also played a pragmatic role in supporting the functions of the mosque as a center of the community activities. It shows that the use of ornaments in the Mantingan Mosque was a representation of cultural integration and the sustainability of the socio-religious function of the mosque.