Material: Hibiscus wood, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 26 cm,  Length 42  cm, Depth 26 cm
Order Number: BDW1

Most Balinese wood carvings are handcrafted by skilled artisans, requiring weeks to complete a single piece.

There are hundreds of species of trees in Bali and at least thirty-nine of them are used in woodcarving.

Up to the 1930s, it was highly formulaic and craftsmen tended to copy each other. Carvings consisted mainly of gods, heroes and demons. In the majority of cases they served a religious function, but they also decorated the royal palaces. They were not made for ordinary home decoration.

Modern styles arose to appeal to the tourists, who were beginning to come to Bali in the 1930s. As with painting, encouragement and suggestions came from Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, who saw that tourism could create a source of income.

According to a report in the Indonesian language newspaper Kompas, in 2003 Gianyar recorded 14,368 woodcarving units employing a total of 37,150 workers.

The modern styles can be classified as:

• The elongated style
• The squat style
• The driftwood style

I Nyoman Cokot’s two sons developed the driftwood style incorporating faces, animals, demons and plants carved out of the twists and turns, often almost hidden, of the branches of the tree. Only the carved parts are finished.

This carving is hibiscus wood and shows Sita and the deer from the Ramayana epic.

The story involves a beautiful golden deer, actually the demon Maricha in disguise. Sita, enchanted by its beauty, asks Rama to capture it for her as a pet. Her request causes Rama to leave to chase the deer, and in his absence, the demon-king Ravana abducts Sita.

Mid- 20th century.

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Material: Ebony wood, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 8 cm,  Length 33  cm, Width 20 cm
Order Number: BWPH1

Most Balinese wood carvings are handcrafted by skilled artisans, requiring weeks to complete a single piece.

There are hundreds of species of trees in Bali and at least thirty-nine of them are used in woodcarving.

Up to the 1930s, it was highly formulaic and craftsmen tended to copy each other. Carvings consisted mainly of gods, heroes and demons. In the majority of cases they served a religious function, but they also decorated the royal palaces. They were not made for ordinary home decoration.

Modern styles arose to appeal to the tourists, who were beginning to come to Bali in the 1930s. As with painting, encouragement and suggestions came from Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, who saw that tourism could create a source of income.

According to a report in the Indonesian language newspaper Kompas, in 2003 Gianyar recorded 14,368 woodcarving units employing a total of 37,150 workers.

The modern styles can be classified as:

• The elongated style
• The squat style
• The driftwood style

Walter Spies inspired the elongated style. The subject-matter is realistic and still very much alive. The elongated carvings are made of fine hardwood, sanded and finished without paint. They are polished to a fine sheen, very smooth and good to touch. The shapes are extremely fluid.

The first woodcarver to carve in this style was I Tegelan in the village of Belaluan. He had admirers in Mas, a village a little to the north: Ida Bagus Ketut Gelodog and Ida Bagus Nyana. Mas became the centre of the new style. Perhaps the best carver was I Nyoman Cokot of Jati, who died in 1971. He carved Hindu deities and demons.

Mid- 20th century.

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Material: Cempaka Wood, paint, hand carved
Style: Bali
Sizes:

Brahma (red): Height 42 cm, Length 11 cm, Width 11 cm

Wisnu (blue): Height 41 cm, Length 11 cm, Width 12 cm

The colours red and blue are the colours associated with the gods, Brahma and Wisnu.

Order Number: WO56A

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Material: Wood, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 60 cm,  Width 43 cm, Depth 56 cm
Order Number: WOWL3

Temple decoration.

Winged lions also appear as a sarcophagus at cremations for the Wesia caste, as bases of pillars in buildings, as the top of posts supporting roof beams, usually in temples or palaces, as stoppers of bamboo containers, water vessels or bottles and the bases of gamelan musical instruments.

The lion is called singa in Bali. The word comes from Sanskrit singha meaning lion. The lion was native in India. The old capital in north Bali is called Singaraja meaning ‘lion king’. The lion was never indigenous in Indonesia, but was well known in the old Javanese stories, which were popular in Bali.

Tigers and leopards, however, were indigenous to Indonesia, and perhaps the artists drew inspiration from them. Knowledge of lions must have spread to Bali from India, where lions were a sign of royalty.

The lion is similar to the Chinese lion. For at least 1,000 years trade took place between China and Bali. The Balinese Barong, a lion-like creature, was also influenced by the Chinese lion.

The Balinese lion is shown standing on all four legs on the ground,  standing on his hind legs with raised forefeet, sitting on his haunches with feet stretched in front of him or lying on the ground.

Detachable wings and tail.

Late 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Winged Lion 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Jackfruit wood, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 50 cm,  Width 39 cm, Depth 37 cm
Order Number: WOWL4

Temple decoration.

Winged lions also appear as a sarcophagus at cremations for the Wesia caste, as bases of pillars in buildings, as the top of posts supporting roof beams, usually in temples or palaces, as stoppers of bamboo containers, water vessels or bottles and the bases of gamelan musical instruments.

The lion is called singa in Bali. The word comes from Sanskrit singha meaning lion. The lion was native in India. The old capital in north Bali is called Singaraja meaning ‘lion king’. The lion was never indigenous in Indonesia, but was well known in the old Javanese stories, which were popular in Bali.

Tigers and leopards, however, were indigenous to Indonesia, and perhaps the artists drew inspiration from them. Knowledge of lions must have spread to Bali from India, where lions were a sign of royalty.

The lion is similar to the Chinese lion. For at least 1,000 years trade took place between China and Bali. The Balinese Barong, a lion-like creature, was also influenced by the Chinese lion.

Detachable wings and tail.

Late 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Winged Lion 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood, paint, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height  46 cm,  Width 36 cm, Depth 31 cm
Order Number: WOWL1

Temple decoration.

The predominant colours are of the gods. Green is associated with Wisnu, red with Brahma and white with Siwa.

This is a temple decoration. Winged lions also appear as a sarcophagus at cremations for the Wesia caste, as bases of pillars in buildings, as the top of posts supporting roof beams, usually in temples or palaces, as stoppers of bamboo containers, water vessels or bottles and the bases of gamelan musical instruments.

The lion is called singa in Bali. The word comes from Sanskrit singha meaning lion. The lion was native in India. The old capital in north Bali is called Singaraja meaning ‘lion king’. The lion was never indigenous in Indonesia, but was well known in the old Javanese stories, which were popular in Bali.

Tigers and leopards, however, were indigenous to Indonesia, and perhaps the artists drew inspiration from them. Knowledge of lions must have spread to Bali from India, where lions were a sign of royalty.

The lion is similar to the Chinese lion. For at least 1,000 years trade took place between China and Bali. The Balinese Barong, a lion-like creature, was also influenced by the Chinese lion.

The Balinese lion is shown standing on all four legs on the ground, as in this case,  standing on his hind legs with raised forefeet, sitting on his haunches with feet stretched in front of him or lying on the ground.

His head is held high, mouth wide open, protruding fangs, ears perked, bulging wide-open eyes, and wings ready to take off.

There is an old crack in the back.

Early to mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Winged Lion 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood, paint, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 32 cm,  Width 18 cm, Depth 30 cm
Order Number: WOWL2

Temple decoration.

The predominant colours are of the gods:  red for Brahma.

This pair are a temple decoration. Winged lions also appear as a sarcophagus at cremations for the Wesia caste, as bases of pillars in buildings, as the top of posts supporting roof beams, usually in temples or palaces, as stoppers of bamboo containers, water vessels or bottles and the bases of gamelan musical instruments.

The lion is called singa in Bali. The word comes from Sanskrit singha meaning lion. The lion was native in India. The old capital in north Bali is called Singaraja meaning ‘lion king’. The lion was never indigenous in Indonesia, but was well known in the old Javanese stories, which were popular in Bali.

Tigers and leopards, however, were indigenous to Indonesia, and perhaps the artists drew inspiration from them. Knowledge of lions must have spread to Bali from India, where lions were a sign of royalty.

The lion is similar to the Chinese lion. For at least 1,000 years trade took place between China and Bali. The Balinese Barong, a lion-like creature, was also influenced by the Chinese lion.

The Balinese lion is shown standing on all four legs on the ground,  standing on his hind legs with raised forefeet, sitting on his haunches with feet stretched in front of him or lying on the ground.

Mouths wide open, protruding fangs, ears laid back, bulging wide-open eyes, and wings ready to take off.

Late 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Winged Lions Pair appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Cempaka wood, paint, hand carved
Style: Bali
Size: Height 54 cm,  Width 25 cm, Depth 28 cm
Order Number: MHSWNP1

This pair are a temple decoration.

Nagas are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the underworld.

They are also known as dragons and water spirits.  Balinese nagas do not have legs.

Mouths wide open, bulging wide-open eyes, crowned and wings ready to take off.

Late 20th century.

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Material: Bronze
Style: Bali
Size: Height 30 cm, Width 16 cm, Depth 11 cm,
Order Number: MHSBS1

Wisnu, part of the Hindu Trinity of Gods, with Siwa and Brahma, always rides upon his mount, the Garuda, which is part human and part eagle, and an enemy of snakes.

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