Material: Lontar palm leaves, cotton string, wooden cover, Chinese coin
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Length 38 cm, Width 14 cm, Depth 2.5 cm
Order Number: MHSABPLM3

Traditional Indonesian manuscripts are made from the leaves of the lontar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer). The leaves are all cut to the same size, usually between 9 to 18 inches (25 to 50 centimetres) long and 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 centimetres) wide.

Characters are inscribed on the leaf with a special knife. The surface of the leaf is wiped with oil mixed with burnt candlewood soot. The soot remains in the grooves. The leaves are wiped clean and the black text can then be read. Few survive more than 100 years in Bali’s tropical climate.

The leaves are bound and held together through holes cut in the leaves by string or in this case bamboo sticks and a Chinese coin called a kepeng. They are protected by an outside board of wood.

Some of the many palm leaves are damaged.

Early – mid 20th century.

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

The post Antique Balinese Palm Leaf Manuscript appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins, wood
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 70 cm, Width 22.5 cm, Depth 22 cm
Order Number: MHSACDSS2

The coins are over 100 years old and the wood is 40-50 years old.

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

The post Antique Coin Statue Dewi Sri appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins, wood
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 60 cm, Width 35 cm, Depth 31 cm
Order Number: MHSACS1

Legong is the most famous Balinese dance, brilliant and perfect. Exquisitely beautiful, it is danced by two young girls, who are usually not more than 13 or 14 years old. The dancers wear gold, jewels and winged head-dresses.

The coins are over 100 years old and the wood is 40-50 years old.

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

The post Antique Coin Statue Legong Dancer appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 41 cm, Width 23 cm, Depth 25.5 cm
Order Number: MHSACSRB1

The coins are over 100 years old.

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

The post Antique Coin Statue Rice Barn appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 53 cm, Width 24 cm, Depth 30 cm
Order Number: MHSACSS1

The coins are over 100 years old.

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

The post Antique Coin Statue Shrine appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Lontar palm leaves, cotton string, bamboo cover, Chinese coin
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 47 cm, Width 21 cm
Order Number: MHSABPLM1

Traditional Indonesian manuscripts are made from the leaves of the lontar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer). The leaves are all cut to the same size, usually between 9 to 18 inches (25 to 50 centimetres) long and 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 centimetres) wide.

Characters are inscribed on the leaf with a special knife. The surface of the leaf is wiped with oil mixed with burnt candlewood soot. The soot remains in the grooves. The leaves are wiped clean and the black text can then be read. Few survive more than 100 years in Bali’s tropical climate.

The leaves are bound and held together through holes cut in the leaves by string and a Chinese coin called a kepeng. They are protected by an outside board of bamboo or wood.

One side has scenes from the Indian epic Ramayana in traditional Balinese wayang style and on the back are a couple of lines of text.

Rawana the demon falls in love with Rama’s wife Sita and decides to capture her. He orders the ogre Marica to change himself into a golden deer and entice Sita. The plan works and Sita, wanting the deer as a pet, pleads with Rama to capture it. Rama goes into the forest in search of the deer. He finds it and shoots with his arrow.

Before the deer dies it resumes the demon shape of Marica and imitates Rama’s voice calling for help. Sita is distraught and asks Laksmana to go and help. Before he leaves, he draws a magic circle around her for protection.

Rawana disguises himself as a beggar and seizes the chance. He asks Sita for food. When she steps out of the circle, he captures her and carries her off to his palace. Rama and Laksmana return and cannot find her. Jatayu, the giant bird, tries to rescue Sita, but Rawana catches him and cuts off his wings. As he lies dying, he tells Rama of the kidnapping.

Rama summons help from Sugriwa, the monkey, who lends him his monkey army and Hanuman, the outstanding white monkey commander. Meanwhile Sita has been resisting Rawana’s advances. Hanuman arrives at the palace, disguised as a fly, and finds Sita.

Rama sends Hangada, the red monkey, to Rawana to persuade him to return Sita and avoid bloodshed, but Rawana tries to kill him, whereupon Rama’s army appears and a huge battle ensues. Rama and Rawana direct the battle. There are massive casualties and finally Rama kills Rawana.

Rama and Sita are reunited.

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

The post Balinese Palm Leaf Manuscript 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Lontar palm leaves, cotton string, bamboo cover, Chinese coin
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 40 cm, Width 20 cm
Order Number: MHSABPLM2

Traditional Indonesian manuscripts are made from the leaves of the lontar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer). The leaves are all cut to the same size, usually between 9 to 18 inches (25 to 50 centimetres) long and 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 centimetres) wide.

Characters are inscribed on the leaf with a special knife. The surface of the leaf is wiped with oil mixed with burnt candlewood soot. The soot remains in the grooves. The leaves are wiped clean and the black text can then be read. Few survive more than 100 years in Bali’s tropical climate.

The leaves are bound and held together through holes cut in the leaves by string and a Chinese coin called a kepeng. They are protected by an outside board of bamboo or wood.

One side has an image of the goddess Dewi Saraswati in traditional Balinese wayang style and the back is blank. Dewi Saraswati is an important Balinese goddess and consort of the creator god Brahma. She is the goddess of learning, knowledge and writing, especially for lontar manuscripts. On her day, the last day on the Balinese calendar, lontar manuscripts are ritually purified and honoured. Nobody should read or write on that day.

Saraswati has 4 arms and hands. She plays a musical instrument, holding it with one hand, and playing it with the other. She also holds a lontar manuscript and a rosary. There are 2 geese at her feet, which are her vehicle. She wears a crown with an aura around it.

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

The post Balinese Palm Leaf Manuscript 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Lontar palm leaves, cotton string, bamboo cover
Style: Bali, Indonesia
Size: Height 40.5 cm, Width 25 cm
Order Number: MHSABPLM3

Traditional Indonesian manuscripts are made from the leaves of the lontar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer). The leaves are all cut to the same size, usually between 9 to 18 inches (25 to 50 centimetres) long and 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 centimetres) wide.

Characters are inscribed on the leaf with a special knife. The surface of the leaf is wiped with oil mixed with burnt candlewood soot. The soot remains in the grooves. The leaves are wiped clean and the black text can then be read. Few survive more than 100 years in Bali’s tropical climate.

The leaves are bound and held together through holes cut in the leaves by string. They are protected by an outside board of bamboo or wood.

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

The post Balinese Palm Leaf Manuscript 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins, wood
Style: Bali
Size: Height 56 cm, width of base 39 cm, depth of base 39 cm
Order Number: MHSCS1

Please ask for the price.

The post Ganesha appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng (Chinese coins), beads
Style: Bali
Size: Height 39 cm, Width 20 cm
Order Number: MHSBH5

Called Daksina.

The post Offering Container appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Kepeng Chinese coins, wood
Style: Bali
Size: Height 53 cm, Width 26 cm, Depth 17.5 cm
Order Number: CS1

This new style, which combines good wood carving, delicate features and Chinese kepeng coins with a hole in the middle, is a good example of continuing Balinese inventiveness.

There are a number of variations of styles, all on Balinese themes, such as this graceful Balinese dancer.  The Oleg dance is a dance of bumble bees.

The post Oleg Dancer appeared first on Murni's in Bali.