Eight panels dramatically portray scenes from the Ramayana, the famed Hindu epic relating the travails and triumphs of Rama and his wife Sita. Etched on palm leaf in a style known as "lontar" this wall hanging by Nengah Dika revels in calm colors and expressive details. Framed by a pair of bamboo rods and strung together by sturdy filaments, the work is sure to offer a unique touch of Bali to any décor. The artisan has written out the Ramayana in Balinese on the back of the wall hanging.
In the epic, Rama is the heir to the kingdom of Ayodya, but through treachery Rama's stepmother forces her husband to proclaim her own son as the new heir to the throne. Rama and Sita are sent into exile in the forest of Dandaka. There, Sita is kidnapped by Rahwana, the gigantic ogre king of Langka. Hanoman, the white monkey general, and Laksmana, Rama's brother, help Rama to free his sequestered wife. Unsure of Sita's faithfulness during their time apart, Rama subjects her to fire, proving her honor when she emerges unscathed.
"The lontar tradition has been passed down from generation to generation since the times before paper existed."
"My name is Nengah Dika, a lontar (palm leaf) craftsman from a village in eastern Bali. I was born on May 15, 1975. I have studied lontar art... read more