wearable art

By yoman Indrawati Subrata, this beautiful sculpture is hand-carved of crocodile wood to depict the lovers Rama and Sita from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. The couple is captured in awe-inspiring fashion, featuring intricate details on their regal clothing. Nyoman recounts the tragic ending of the Ramayana: Rama questions the chastity of his pregnant wife, Sita, and in response she begs the earth to swallow her if she has indeed been true to her husband. She vanishes, leaving Rama all alone. The artisan carries on the extraordinary art work of her late father, Nyoman Subrata.

Seated on a tiger, Shiva lifts a hand in blessing. Regarded as the celestial overlord of deliverance through destruction, Shiva has his customary trident by his side as a show of divinity. The hissing cobra that slithers around his head symbolizes his potent divine destructivity, and his matted hair is thought to contain the flow of the Ganges River. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is both the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. Unaffected by the whims of the world, he is innocent and guileless, pure of mind and heart. He does not adorn his body with jewels or flowers — he mats his hair and dresses in animal hide.

Ida Bagus Lawa Bargawa is a master of the batik technique, sketching the figures by hand and applying the wax resist freehand, which requires great skill. A different dye bath is required for each separate color in his elegant and complex batik "painting."

Featuring a single stone of peridot that sparkles with green hues, this cocktail ring depicts the face of Saraswati. Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and art, Saraswati is depicted here by Indonesia's Komang Suastra, who carves her face by hand from bone, surrounding it with sterling silver dot and swirl motifs for an elegant and serene look.

Love transcends time and life in the epic Ramayana text. Rama and Sita survive a series of challenges that prove their unconditional love and purity, elevating their marriage to a divine status. Inspired by the adventures of the couple, artisan Gunadi creates this set of two shadow puppets in the traditional Javanese style, painted using batik techniques. Each couple matches in style and dress but please expect variations from set to set due to the hand painted batik.