bali and java

Two women beat an intricate cadence on the gendang, the large drums present in the gamelan orchestra of Bali and Java. Dressed in the traditional costume worn for performances, they are serious and skilled musicians. Purwadi works in oil on canvas to create this beautiful and expressive portrait.

Intent on her work, a Balinese woman carefully arranges leaves, flowers and fruit in a banten. An offering to the gods, creating banten is an essential part of worship for Hindu women in Bali and Java. This is an act of devotion for her, and an almost everyday event. Working in oil on canvas, Purwadi depicts his subject in an elegant and beautiful painting.

Inspired by the traditional Gandrung Jaran Goyang dance from the East Java province, Mohammad Arifin presents this colorful acrylic painting in red, yellow, green. "Gandrung Jaran Goyang tells a story about how a man and woman fell in love," says Arifin, who uses splatters of paint in warm hues to depict the magic of love and attraction through dance.

This masterfully carved decorative vase from Sarwaedi of Bali was inspired by the Javanese legend of Naga Baru Klinting. The subtle application of paint and gilded accents give the vase the appearance of a treasured antique.

According to the legend, Baru Klinting was a dragon who promised a sage that he could circle the whole Merapi Volcano in Central Java to prove that he was the sage's son, but failed to do so. The dragon used his tongue instead, which enraged the sage, and the sage swung a sword to cut his tongue. The dragon fell to the earth. Then people living near the volcano cut up the dragon's body and took it home to make a feast. Suddenly, a midget appeared and put a stick in the earth, and said that he would take all of the dragon's meat if no one was capable of removing the stick. People tried because they didn't want to lose their chance for a feast, but none were able to do it. The midget then removed the stick from the ground, and suddenly in that spot water started to flood the whole village, turning the village into a spring that is present to this day. Later on, another sage revealed that the midget was the soul of the dragon, enraged with the people that tried to eat his body.

The wax-resist dyeing technique of batik is found in many cultures, but nowhere is it as renowned as in Java. In this batik scarf from Melati’s Collection, a Javanese garden paradise of turquoise, black, and white flowers decorate a golden background of pure silk.

Melati presents this shawl inside a quality, custom-made gift box.