The Chimeric Trace: The Makara and Other Connections to Come

Abstract

The makara is a chimeric creature composed of parts from an elephant, a crocodile, a fish, and others. As an iconography derived from early Indian traditions, the makara has traversed the Indian Ocean, making its mark principally on Hindu-Buddhist monuments and ceremonial paraphernalia in South and Southeast Asia. Looking at select objects spanning centuries, a longue durée approach to the makara is conceived to attend to the migration of an iconography that has been translated into different registers. Unraveling the latent affinities among the manifold forms of the makara, this essay foregrounds the transregional trace of a chimera customarily sidelined in historical analyses. A loose chronology directs the course of the essay, proceeding from ancient relics to early modern weaponry, and culminating with the half-lion and half-fish Merlion, the national icon of Singapore. By navigating the vicissitudes of the chimeric trace of the makara, this essay demonstrates how transcultural encounters occur in ways that eschew pre-established assumptions of culture.