carvings

Masterfully carving Balinese suar wood, Seji Taram recalls the legend of the dragon, Baru Klinthing. He was born to a concubine of Ki Ageng Mangir II, a rebel, who would never accept a dragon as his son unless the creature could wrap its entire body around Mount Merapi. To accomplish this, Baru Klinthing had to use his tongue to reach his tail. The angry father cut off the dragon's tongue, which became a powerful spear and source of power.

Rustling bamboo flourishes on the islands of Indonesia, coming to life in this elegant relief panel from Eka in Bali. The rich grain of native suar wood adds depth and beauty to her handcrafted wall sculpture.

Carving native cempaka wood into an elegant relief panel, Ketut Sandi pays tribute to nature. He depicts a beautiful lotus blossom amid a halo of luscious foliage in a lily pond.

These elegant herons wading in a lotus pond are just a small example of the elaborate wood carvings that decorate buildings throughout Indonesia. This wall hanging is hand-carved of suar wood and signed by Eka, who says her young children give her the motivation to maintain the woodcarving workshop she established with her late husband.

The OM symbol, representing all sounds and symbolizing the essence of the universe, is nestled among frangipani blossoms in this magnificent hand carved suar wood wall relief panel by Balinese artisan Seji Taram.

Known as om or aum, omkara is the root of all sounds, emitted as a mantra during meditation. It is believed all desires will vanish, thus attaining self-realization and the highest of knowledge. This one letter symbolizes the most high in the Hindu pantheon, representing every kind of trinity such as Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, past-present-future, birth-life-death; creation-preservation-destruction, and waking-dreaming-deep sleep.

The recurrent theme of the dragon in Balinese art underscores the legendary animal's divinity in their culture, a motif that has not escaped the artistic eye of Seji Taram. Believed to be the guardian of the gods, this baby suar wood dragon with wings fiercely protects the sanctity of the home.

Ketut Seji, wife of the late Balinese artisan Ketut Taram, preserves her husband's legacy in this carving of a seated Buddha. Buddha's head rests upon his hands, and a faint smile plays across his lips. The serene sculpture is carved and finished by hand, and signed by Ketut Seji.