sculptures of hands

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.

In Balinese culture, Tri Kaya Parisudha is a philosophy that promotes positive thoughts, words and deeds, composed by three purified actions known as Manacika, Wacika and Kayika. Artisans from the Subrata Family in Indonesia carve and paint by hand a compelling suar wood sculpture of a man practicing Manacika and looking to achieve harmony and peace in life by the power of positive thinking.

"Positive thinking helps people do right and speak the truth. Positive and right thinking are the way to a harmonious life. With right and positive thinking, our behavior will be good and positive, including with our words. If all of creation thinks positively and does right, the world will be peaceful and not have more war, violence, or conflict, and so we will all prosper," say the artisans.

This sculpture is a feast for the eyes, full of hand-painted details. Artisan Magdaleno Fierro of Mexico handcrafts this ceramic sculpture in the shape of a tree. At the centre is an ark, with Noah, an elephant and a giraffe surrounded by green leaves, and blue, white, and yellow flowers, and terracotta-coloured doves with white accents fly about.

The tree of life is a quintessentially Mexican expression of folk art, often a biblical allegory told in clay.

"Agorkoli is a peaceful Togolese god that led the Ewe people from Togo to Ghana where they reside now," says artisan Emmanuel Austin Ankude of his original sculpture. He works in native sese wood to hand-carve the intriguing statuette.

Cradling a swan that represents peace on earth, Buddha meditates on a lotus blossom, itself a symbol of peace and love. They are skillfully depicted on the draped fold of the master's robe. Carved by hand of kadam wood, the sculpture form Suresh and Devender Garg is polished to a glowing sheen. This extraordinary image transcends time and space with noble sentiment.

Paying homage to Buddha, Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah hand-carves this sculpture from suar wood with a rich natural grain. Resting atop a lotus flower, Buddha's face is captured in a serene expression that will surely bring an air of calmness and peace into your home.

"Akiligo is a god that is worshipped by northerners, and if the god is pacified during the Harmattan season it gives the people a bountiful harvest. Akiligo is often believed to bless his devotees with rains, abundance and peace of mind." Inspired by this generous god, artisan Emmanuel Austin Ankude hand-carves a sese wood sculpture in a traditional style. The final touch is the steel ring on the figure's headdress.

"I see a lack of compassion between fellow beings these days and few people who bring about peace in society. The process to make peace for the common good in society and the world starts with the self, doing small things such as meditating and practicing mindfulness to solve problems for the sake of both peace and the world," master artisan Wayan Rendah says.

"My hope is that everyone can respect one other and respect the differences that exist to avoid hostility and injustice in life and society.

"Buddha's teachings promote inner peace and unity for achieving enlightenment, and Buddha has motivated many to transform their life choices over thousands of years, spanning periods of chaos and stability."

The Buddhist concept of a peaceful life inspires this hand-carved hibiscus wood sculpture depicting the serene face of Buddha, blessing all those within his presence. At the centre of a world suspended in equilibrium, Buddha seeks discipline and selflessness among the inhabitants of the Earth.

This beautiful rendition of Buddha seated on a lotus flower is designed and crafted by Wayan Rendah. Using Balinese suar wood, he carves the image by hand with brilliant attention to detail. Each fold and crease of Buddha's robe and lotus petal work is depicted with expert precision. The master sits in a traditional meditative prayer-pose and is sure to bring an aura of peace and calm to your home.

This beautiful statuette by Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah shows Buddha in a deep state of meditation. Hand crafted from native suar wood, the intricate detailing of Buddha's hair, face, and clothing is truly exquisite. The pose in which Buddha sits is traditionally known as dhyana mudra, where his right hand represents enlightenment, and the left is the illusory nature of existence.