Royal carriage based on mantingan ornamentation: a symbolic representation of Ratu Kalinyamat’s leadership values

Abstract

This study examines how leadership values historically associated with Ratu Kalinyamat may be interpreted through the visual structure and ornamentation of a royal carriage within Jepara’s cultural context. Drawing on theories of social construction and representation, the carriage is approached not as proof of historical attributes but as a cultural text through which meanings of leadership and identity are constructed. A qualitative descriptive design applies structured symbolic representational analysis to documented visual elements. Rather than asserting causal links, the study explores plausible associations between structural components and Mantingan ornamentation as interconnected systems of signs. Cross-referencing historiographic sources and visual analysis, six leadership values are used as an interpretative framework: anti-colonial resistance, maritime strength, diplomatic and economic capability, concern for public welfare, female leadership, and cultural pluralism. These values are read as visually evoked through elements such as punden berundak, lotus, phoenix, kala-makara, garuda, and arabesque motifs, reflecting processes of cultural acculturation in Jepara. The carriage is thus interpreted as a possible visual articulation of authority and identity through symbolic form. The findings are presented as contextually grounded interpretations that foreground the analytical potential of craft objects in cultural and gender studies.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 2026 · DOI ↗