wearable art

The perfect symmetry of his features heightens the serenity of this beautiful portrait. Seji Taram depicts Buddha in a relief panel, beautifully sculpted by hand. The mark of enlightenment appears on the master's forehead as he yields himself to meditation.

Jesus Christ rests calmly on the cross as the delicate central theme of this ornately crafted pendant necklace. With the high polish sterling silver cross and elaborate Cuban link chain, Indonesian artisan Made Sri employs her master skills to design and create a piece that holds beauty within its simplicity. The necklace features a spring ring clasp and uniform sterling silver beads spaced evenly upon the chain.

Carved by hand of crocodile wood, this lovely image depicts Buddha seated on a lavender lotus. His eyes are closed, hands in his lap with thumbs together as the master meditates. Gung Gus paints the sculpture in clear colors, detailing lotus blossoms on the flowing robe.

Deep in meditation, Buddha sits on a lotus blossom. The flowing lines of his robe are echoed in the delicate line of the petals. Holding prayer beads in his right hand, the master prays while making a gesture of blessing. Nyoman Sudiana sculpts the fluid contours from rich Balinese suar wood.

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."

Depicted in a carving by Gung Gus, Buddha sits in meditation, his golden body clothed in a hand-painted robe. His gesture is significant. The nerve channel associated with the mind of enlightenment passes through the thumbs. Thus, joining of the two thumbs in this gesture is of auspicious significance for the future development of the mind of enlightenment.

Holding his hands in the Vitarka Mudra, Buddha carries on his teachings in this inspired sculpture by Wayan Rendah. Hand-carved of suar wood, the sculpture possesses an intricate level of detail that captures Budd'as curling locks and flowing robe. A rich finish accentuates the wood's natural grain.

Hand-carved of crocodile wood, Buddha rests his head against his knee in this beautiful and celebratory sculpture from Bali. Gung Gus creates the reverent sculpture, painting Buddha's skin in a gold tone with hand-painted floral motifs over his clothing.