carvings

A lotus blooms on a circular medallion, each detail hand carved from suar wood. By Seji Taram, the lovely relief sculpture is a constant reminder of Bali's natural beauty.

This stunning wood relief panel is presented by Ketut Sandi in Bali. The artisan carves the deeply three-dimensional panel by hand from cempaka wood, leaving it unfinished to highlight the wood's grain. The panel depicts Lord Ganesha, the beloved Hindu deity who is considered to be the remover of obstacles. Ganesha sits upon a lotus throne and has one hand raised in a blessing.

In this incredibly detailed wood relief panel from Bali's Ketut Sandi, the four-armed Hindu goddess Saraswati reigns supreme. The beautifully hand-carved wall sculpture depicts Saraswati surrounded by tropical flora, and features a number of symbolic items. The wood's rich grain is showcased by the light natural finish.

The four arms of Saraswati denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms indicate Her activity in the physical world, and the two back arms signify her presence in the spiritual world. A book in the rear left hand signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness, to promote prosperity of mankind.A rosary in the rear right hand (representing ego) conveys that true knowledge, acquired with love and devotion, melts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from bondage to the physical world.The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in her front hands, which represents the mind and intellect. Saraswati uses the swan as Her vehicle, indicating that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind.

Hand-carved in lavish detail, this cempaka wood relief panel from Ketut Sandi depicts the romance of Rama and Sita, as told in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Creating a wonderfully three-dimensional vignette, the artisan carefully executes every nuance of the couples' ornate dress and each leaf on the tree. The artisan chooses to leave the wood unfinished to highlight its beautiful grain.

The Ramayana is an epic poem that plays a very important role in Hindu literature, life and culture. Tens of thousands of verses relate the story of Rama, an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, and his wife Sita.

Exquisite attention to detail distinguishes all of Balinese artisan Seji Taram's carvings, and this piece is no exception. This winged dragon comes to life in richly-grained suar wood, carefully carved by hand. Each scale and fang is meticulously detailed in this magnificent work of wall art.

Carving native cempaka wood into an elegant relief panel, Ketut Sandi pays tribute to nature. He depicts a beautiful lotus blossom amid a halo of luscious foliage in a lily pond.

A mighty dragon emits tendrils of flame, carved by hand from suar wood with excellent detail. Designed by Indonesian artisan Made Mulyani with a distressed white finish, this wall relief panel makes an excellent addition to any home. The artisan draws inspiration from Antaboga, a dragon-serpent from Javanese mythology.

An elephant family frolics happily in a lush jungle in this spectacular relief panel from Balinese artisan Ketut Sandi. He carves the panel by hand from cempaka wood, bringing each detail to life in a three-dimensional work of art.

This exquisite wood relief panel is presented by Ketut Seji, wife of the late Balinese master carver Ketut Taram. She preserves his legacy by continuing the carving tradition. The round panel features the serene visage of Buddha, surrounded by a frame of carefully hand-carved lotus petals.

Balinese artisan Eka depicts Buddha in the Chinese style in this hand-carved suar wood wall panel. Rotund and mirthful, Buddha stands on a large sack of gold ingots, while holding Chinese coins in one hand.

These elegant herons wading in a lotus pond are just a small example of the elaborate wood carvings that decorate buildings throughout Indonesia. This wall hanging is hand-carved of suar wood and signed by Eka, who says her young children give her the motivation to maintain the woodcarving workshop she established with her late husband.

Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity, is transformed into a stunning wall relief panel by Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah. Using local suar wood, the beautiful deity is hand carved by in wonderful detail, with natural wood grain enhancing the elegant design.