Art-From-Bali.com - Overview of all our Top-artwork

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Prewar woodcarving of a balinese djanger dancer executed in art deco style. 1930-1940 Excellent stylish carving done by a master carver.	Bird with prey 1930-1940 Bird sculpture with strong art deco features. The twisted neck is very difficult to execute.	Standing Bali woman 1960-1970 This is a work typical for M D Runda. He is known for his long, elegantly carved, stylish statues. Please click for more photos and info.
Charming bust of a young Indonesian girl 1930-1950 Excellent example of a very fine woodcarving technique. When more tourists came to Indonesia after the war, the demand for souvenirs increased considerably. Wooden busts were popular, because they had no protruding parts and were easy to take along in bags or suitcases. On Bali djanger busts became popular by the tourists and therefore mass produced. On Java the loro blonyo, a set of a female and a male bust, were popular as a gift to a newly wed couple. Single busts of a man or woman were less in demand, let alone single busts of young Indonesians. In that respect this bust is remarkable.	Balinese high priest with container for holy water 1930-1940 Excellent carving from the Pita Maha period(1928-1945). There are beautiful details, like the open-carved container and much detail to the fingers and feet of the priest. The elegant art deco lines are clearly visible. Carved in the expensive satinwood, only used by the best carvers of the village. Finished with a beautiful dark brown patina. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	New Wooden statues from the mountain village Sebatoe on Bali 1940-1960 These two small woodcarvings were not made for the tourist market but pure folk art. The Sebatoe carvings are meant to be humorous and entertaining, and are carved for fun. The subjects are often funny observations from the daily life in a village. Often with phantasy animals and/or persons. Although the Sebatoe carvers made them for fun, the level of artistry is high, which is clearly reflected in these two pieces.
Rare bust of a Indonesian teenager. 1930-1960 Rare bust, probably made on Java, but Bali is possible too. The type of wood is unusual too. The density of the wood allows the carver greater detail, shown here in the facial features. Clicking on the photo will show more photos&info. NFS; private collection	New Wooden statue of a legong dancer 1930-1940 Magnificently carved statue of a legong dancer who performs the bird-dance, hence the arm pieces. The most remarkable feature of this statue is the condition. It survived the long journey from Bali to Holland without damaging the wing tips. How many of these bird dancer statues were damaged? A good guess is probably more than 80% If one takes a good close look at the wings they are not only razor thin but also carved in an angle, which is very hard to execute without breaking the wood. The balinese carvers were known to specialise in a genre piece, which they mastered to perfection. I once owned a similar bird dancer statue which was undoudtedly done by the same master. However that piece was badly damaged. Pls click on the photo for more info&photos.	New Balinese man with his fighting cock 1940-1960
the golden deer struck by Rama's arrow, a scene from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Pls click on the photo for more info&photos. 1930-1940 The most attractive feature is the elongulated body of the deer. A way of practice in the woodcarving of the 1930s on Bali.	Sitting woman with mirror. Woodcarving from Bali, prewar 1930-1940 Impressive tall statue from the Pita Maha period(1928-1942). Striking elements are the beautiful deco lines that run downwards, and the vegetation-leave-motif on her head scarf. Copying is a normal and accepted thing in Bali, but for a copy you need the orginal. For all the ladies with mirror-carvings, this is probably the preferred original. Each photo can be enlarged two times by clicking on the image.	New Woodcarving of a seated Bali woman from the 1930-1940 period. Pls click on the photo for more info&photos. 1930-1940 Carved in a still pose.
New Wooden statue of a Balinese woman lookling in the mirror. 1930-1940 Sharp lines and great optical form choices are the features of this very small carving (19 cm!), resulting in a beautiful artwork. Pls click on the photo for more info&photos.	New Woodcarving of a goat, made in prewar Bali by a anonymous artist. 1930-1940	Bust of a djanger dancer 1940-1950 Exquisite large bust of a Balinese djanger-dancer. Many busts like this have been made on Bali but this one is much bigger than usual and also much more detailed. The crown is carved as detailed as possible and the flowers are magnificent. The dress of the dancer has been copied in detail with all the ornaments that are so typical for a djanger-costume. Also the back of the carving is beautiful. Pay attention to the little flowers in her hair! A bust of this size and magnitude is a must for Bali-collectors. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.
New Bookends from the 1950s, made for the tourists on Bali. Pls click on the photo for more photos&info 1950-1970 These bookends were made by a very accomplished Balinese woodcarver; many technical hurdles must be overcome. The last photo shows a similar couple made around the same time.	Cockspur case, local name Kotak Taji. Bali, wood 1930-1940 Top piece in the category Kotak Taji. The colours are very well preserved, as is the overall condition. The owner must have been rich, or maybe of royal descent, because this case could contain 16 spurs. This implies he owned a considerable number of fighting cocks. The colour red reflects the status of nobility on Bali. The figure is Twalen, one of four servant clowns from the Hindu Mahabharata story.Twalen is depicted as a hermaphrodite; this reflects how the Balinese look to a god; with a male and female principle. The enlarged nose is regarded as a beauty feature on Bali. Provenance; Old Dutch collection. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	New Coloured chalk drawing of Ni Pollok by Adrien-Jean Mayeur de Merpres (1880-1958)
Set of 2 incense burners, used by the Hindu priest on Bali during ceremonies or rituals. Local name; Padamaran 1900-1950 This burner is used by the Pedanda, the Balinese priest, to help him perform certain rituals during ceremonies, like tooth filing, marriage or the blessing of a temple.The two figures are the naga, the holy snake ,at the front, and the nandi at the back. Nandi is the travel animal of Shiva. The last three photos show a priest performing a ritual with the padamaran in the right hand. Collectors item. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Winged singha 1910-1940 Early carving which served as a base for a post. This base supported a pillar which supported a roof or bale bale, or other important building in a prewar Balinese village. Traces of polychromie(coloured paint) Old piece, probably around 1900-1910. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	A set of two holy water containers 1920-1940 These containers were used to store the holy water. The silver is of a lower standard than the usual standard(960). Holy water is very important in the Hindu religion. It is created through a ritual whereby a pedanda(Bali priest) is in trance, allowing the gods to take possession of the water. The water now has a purifying power. The priest uses this holy water to purify objects and persons to keep the evil spirits away. Because of this important role these containers are richly ornamented and made of silver and sometimes gold. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.
Silver pubic plate from Bali, lombok or Sumatra. Local name; Jempang 1910-1950 Nice and mint pubic plate, wich was used by young children until the age of 8. Possible locations of origin are Bali, Lombok or Sumatra(Atjeh). Collectors item.	New Woodcarving of a goat 1950-1970 Good example of small carving done by an accomplished artist. This goat was made for the tourist market; no doubt about that. And maybe he was able to finish this in a day. But still such a goat is pretty hard to create, and the result is great; full of class and humor. Maybe Ajun was enjoying himself!	New Large silver offer dish 1900-1950 Large offer dish, which was used to bring rice, flowers and fruits to the temple, to appease the gods. The remarkable feature of this dish is the size. With a diameter of 36 cm this is one of the largest offer dishes used in prewar Bali. This is illustrated in the last three photos. Please click on the photo to get more info&photos.
Offering container for new born children. Local name; Sanggah Kumara. Made of wood and rope. Bali, around 1900. 1880-1900 Extremely rare object. This antique offer tray was used to hang above a new born child at the ceiling. That is why the bottom has been carved with the child god Kumara for protection. Inside the tray offers were placed in order to protect the child from evil forces. Such offers could be flowers which colours are white, red, yellow and blue representing the various wind directions. This kind of object is only to be found in musea and private collections. A similar object can be seen on the last photo. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Small oil painting by Fritz Ohl Nicely subdued oil by Dutch master Frits Ohl of a waringin tree and a person. Oil on hard board. Numbered at the back; 222 Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Silver container for holy water used by Hindu priests on Bali during rituals. 1910-1940 Rare container with nicely decorated lid. The silver is of a lower standard than the usual standard(960). Holy water is very important in the Hindu religion. It is created through a ritual whereby a pedanda(Bali priest) is in trans, allowing the gods to take possession of the water. The water now has a purifying power. The priest uses this holy water to purify objects and persons to keep the evil spirits away. On the outside the guardians of the four wind regions are visible. Because of this important role the container of the holy water is richly ornamented and made of silver and sometimes gold. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos. .
Dance hat used in the Balinese Djanger dance 1940-1960 Extremely rare object. The Djanger dance is not performed on Bali for many years. Djanger hats appear seldom on the market. The hat is made manually with several materials. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	original legong dance crown with neckornament 1930-1940 Written on the inside ; V. ZAREMBA (also the neckornament carries this signature), most likely she was the owner of the dance hat. She was a niece of the famous legong dancer Ni POLLOK. Made of wood, buffalo-leather, mirrors and bamboo. It must have been a painstaking work to cut all the beautiful ornaments into the leather. Only the best dancers were given this quality of hats. Rare object because on Bali usually the older hats are re-used by painting them over or fixing new material onto them. This hat is still in the original form in which it was made as is the original neckornament. Looking at the seize of the neck it is clear that the user was not older than 10-12 years. In pre war Bali only very young girls were allowed to perform the difficult legong dance. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.	Old Wayang lamp holder from Bali 1920-1950 This wooden Wayang-lamp is in fact a vertical holder for an oil-lamp used during a Wayang-kulit performance. Attached to the two holes at the bottom is a small oil-reservoir, in which a fuse is set on fire. The flame enlightens the wayang kulit puppets which are handled by the dalang behind a screen.The spectators in front of the screen see only the shadows of those puppets. The upstanding wooden holder has the shape of a fable animal with a human face as a balinese dancer. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos. The additional photos show other lamp holders and some info from the book "WAYANG ON BALI" written by Hedi Hinzler(1975).
Part of the Gamelan orchestra. This instrument is called a gender, which is a general name for such a metallophone. The metal plates will resonate with the air in the underlying bamboo poles underneath and subsequently sound is produced. An hammer with a rubber head is used to play the gender. The colour red is often associated with extra-natural powers and the colour gold radiates richdom. The kala heads on both sides of the gender are meant as protection for hostile spirits. 1930-1950 Old and antique instrument which still produces a wondeful sound. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Brass temple bell Bali, 1st half 20th century 1920-1950 Impressive and heavy shell used by brahman priests on bali during holy ceremonies. Almost an identical shell was depicted in a tourist brochre from 1939. See the last photo. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Box with animal-flower-wayang pattern. Used for a bible. Made on Java. 1930-1950 Beautifully carved wooden box. These boxes are called 'bible'boxes, because they have the shape of a large book, for example a bible. The woodcarving was done on Java. The key is still there and te box can be closed and locked. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.
Rare calendar from 1966 with reproductions of 4 pastels from the Dutch master Rudolf Bonnet. Pls click on each photo see a larger image. Published in 1966 by Tong Tong. 1966 Extremely rare item. Die hard Bonnet collectors must search for years to get their hands on this calendar. Tong Tong was a cultural foundation in The Hague to preserve the Indie legacy. For this purpose they published a magazine (Tong Tong magazine, now called "Moesson") and organized cultural events like exhibitions and fairs. It was during an exhibition of works by Rudolf Bonnet that an idea was born to create a special Rudolf Bonnet-calendar. It is the only calendar ever published about an Indie-oriented artist. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Carved bone. 1930-1940 Magnificent bone carving. Many motivs are depicted on this bone carving, like animals, demons, floral patterns. This art work was most likely done by a specialist in bone carvings. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.	Woorden square support with fine woodcarving used in a bale bale 1920-1940 Nicely carved wooden support, either used as a support for a pillar as part of a bale bale, or as a support for a holy statue. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.
Part of the Gamelan orchestra. This instrument is called a gender, which is a general name for such a metallophone. The metal plates will resonate with the air in the underlying bamboo poles underneath and subsequently sound is produced. An hammer with a rubber head is used to play the gender. The colour red is often associated with extra-natural powers and the colour gold radiates richdom. 1950-1970 Two gamelan instruments with beautiful sonor sound. Special attention to the detailed woodcarving! Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Water scoop with a handle decorated with ornaments. Prewar. Very rare object. Local name; Gayung 1910-1940 Rare water scoop from prewar Bali. A coconut has been cut in half to create the container for the water. Sometimes in prewar bali even simple household objects, like this one, are decorated with carved motivs. The last photo depicts a Balinese girl with a typical ordinary water scoop. The photo was taken around 1930. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	2 parrots on a base with their offspring 1940-1950 Nice birdsculpture of 2 parrots with their offspring. Probably made as a special request of a Dutchman. Made on Bali or Java during the 1940s. Heavy wood. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.
Houten beeld van een panter, gemaakt op Bali 1950-1970 Good example for a correct wood choice by the carver. By choosing pallissander wood, with its distinctive flamed pattern, it resembles the outerskin of the panter. A carving full of expression! Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Bell/Gong, made in Java 1930-1940 Very nice detailed gong, carved in the famous jarapara style. the most remarkable thing is that the gong is completely intact. There isn't the slightest damage. Beautiful ornaments of floral patterns and wayang figures. A similar gong can be found in the Nusantara Museum (Delft) and the Gemeente Museum in Den Hague. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.	Javanese foodstand 1920-1940 Well preserved image of a Javanese foodstand, a sate seller. Before the war these sellers were abundant on the Streets of Batavia! Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.
Javanese foodstand 1920-1940 Well preserved and rare marquette of a Javanese foodstand. Materials used; wood, tin, terra cotta, bamboo, batik. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.	Wooden bookends made on Bali. 1930-1940 Nice pair of bookends, executed in the Art Deco style. This pair is slightly different than the other pair in the Tobo Art collection (TOBO-00018). Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.	Wooden box with an islam-text carved on top. Made in Sumatra, Indonesia. 1930 Very interesting box, used to store a handwritten Koran. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.
Carved bone from a deer antlers 1940-1950 Bone sculptures are known on Bali, made of the bones of the cow, usually the height is 21-24 cm. This tall bone carving is made from the antlers of a deer. Probably the artist found the antlers in the forest and decided to make it into an artwork. Hence the unique character of this work, which required days/weeks to finish looking at the many figures and ornaments on the carving. Pls click on each photo to see two larger images.	New Lontar manuscript 1930-1940 from the collection of Prof C Bonne (1891-1948). Prof Bonne was professor at the Medical School in Batavia, and editor of the Medical Magazine in the Dutch Indies. 1930-1940 This remarkable lontar came from the collection of Prof C Bonne. He was an important doctor in the Dutch Indies. The very detailed drawings depict scenes from the Ramayana acoompanied by Balinese words. This was no touristic item, but more a show of force by an experienced (most likely) Balinese lontar writer. Important lontars had covers made of expensive wood, and the side of leaves were painted red, like this one. In some cases even a special box was made to preserve the lontar, like in TOBO 753 and TOBO 800.	Book "Bali en Lombok" in three parts by W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, 1906 1906 Limited edition of 400 copies. This book has numbered 24. Ex-libris; Jan Veth First major publication about prewar Bali Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.
Nicely carved cockspur case, Kotak Taji, in the shape of an owl. Lombok, wood, before 1940. 1925-1940 This case is a good example of pure folk art. This was not a decorative object, but at the time in use during the cock fighting. The middle panel shows a deer, most likely to bring the owner luck. In the case there is room for 6 spurs. A similar case is shown in the standard book about cockspur cases by Pieter van Donk, Indonesian Cockspur Cases, on page 52. Pls click on the photo for more info&photos.	Complete dance costume of a Balinese legong dancer. Prewar 1900-1940 Well preserved costume. This costume was sent to an English dance institution, where they studied the various Asian dances. Including the original dance crown and dance fan. In 1936 a book was published "Temple dances of Bali" by the Swedish artist Tyra Kleen, which shows the various costumes of the legong-dance. Please click n the the photo for more photos and info.	Album with old picture postcards of Bali (1920-1930). 1920-1930 These postcards, also known as 'EAG-kiekjes', were the very first postcards depicting Bali in photographs. They date 1920-1930.These postcards were sold in small envelopes, each containing 10 postcard. Each envelope has a theme, like 'rice culture', 'local arts', 'temples'. Nine such envelopes are part of this collection. See the last photos. Extremely rare. Pls click on the photo to get more info and photos.