Our original plan, after our days with the beadmakers near Jombang, was to travel east and south to Jember—where we hoped to meet the workers who make the realistic (or more-realistic) reproductions of jatim and other ancient beads. Unfortunately circumstances demanded that we change our plans, and we decided to go to Borobudur—the 9th C. Buddhist monument that is one of the ancient wonders of the world. The structure itself is something like a stepped pyramid, but there are relief friezes on every vertical surface, depicting the life of Buddha, symbolically presenting his birth, childhood, adulthood, enlightenment, and cosmic transcendence.

Here are two photos, showing the monument and just one carving that shows people wearing lots of beads.

Jamey