nice sculpture

This exquisite wood relief panel is presented by Ketut Seji, wife of the late Balinese master carver Ketut Taram. She preserves his legacy by continuing the carving tradition. The round panel features the serene visage of Buddha, surrounded by a frame of carefully hand-carved lotus petals.

A symbol of all that is evil, Rangda's wicked glare is terrifying. Made Mulyani carves the witch's mask from acacia wood with exquisite detail. Described in the Hindu epic Ramayana, she is the Balinese manifestation of Durga, goddess of the underworld.

Please note that wood color and grain can vary significantly from one piece to the next; this makes each mask a unique piece of art.

In this magnificent Suar wood mask, Nyoman Indrawati Subrata of the Subrata Family captures the beauty and poise of Sita, wife of the Hindu Lord Rama. She works the wood with supreme mastery and exquisite detail. Sita's smooth complexion is framed by an intricate headdress, allowing for a remarkable contrasting texture.

In the Ramayana epic, Sita is kidnapped by Rawana, the demon-king, and held hostage in his palace. Rawana coaxes Sita to stay with him and be his lover. Sita shields herself from Rawana's lust long enough for her husband, Rama, and an army of monkeys to rescue her. Sita now represents supreme devotion and compassion.

A young dancer is crowned with frangipani blossoms, her elaborate headdress part of the Legong dance costume. Nyoman Indrawati Subrata of the Subrata Family sculpts this extraordinary mask from crocodile wood and paints it by hand with vivid detail. The Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment, and it is said that the prince of Sukwati fell ill and had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed in reality.

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.

Barong appears in this fascinating wall sculpture from Eka. Also known as Bhoma, he represents the goodness that destroyed the evil Rangda. His adventures are reenacted in the form of a dance and his image is also hung on doors in Bali to ward off evil spirits.

The florid headdress in this mask distinguishes the personification of a Janger dancer. Performed in Bali since the 1920's, the Janger was considered a "dance craze" performed by groups of 12 men and 12 women. The dance begins with everybody sitting down, and as the women sway from side to side, the men perform aggressive movements while chanting kecak. Eventually they all stand up to dance in couples. Nyoman Naranata celebrates the legendary dance with a vivid mask that is hand-carved from hibiscus wood.

Hibiscus wood exhibits colors ranging from white to light gray, dark gray or even black heartwood. This natural occurrence can rarely be replicated, making each carving exceptionally unique. Please expect slight differences in wood grain color and distribution patterns. Theme and artistic quality remain the same.

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.