Indonesian Artist, Large Deeply Carved High Wall Relief of Ramayana, Ubudpeliatan or Gianyar, Bali, 19th Century, Teak

Details

Description

Large Ramayana Wall Relief in Deeply Carved High Relief
Bali (Indonesia), Ubud–Peliatan or Gianyar, 19th Century.

Teak wood (Tectona grandis), … Read more Large Ramayana Wall Relief in Deeply Carved High Relief
Bali (Indonesia), Ubud–Peliatan or Gianyar, 19th Century.

Teak wood (Tectona grandis), exceptionally deep and multi-layered carving, with a rich, warm brown age patina.
The entire pictorial surface is densely filled with a dramatic episode from the Ramayana epic (presumably the Battle of Lanka with Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman and the monkey army against Ravana and his demons). Over 50 figures—warriors, monkeys, demons, horses, chariots, flying arrows, burning trees, and lush vegetation—are depicted in a highly dynamic, almost baroque composition.
The carving reaches a relief depth of up to 7–8 cm in places and shows the finest details, down to facial expressions, hair, ornaments, muscles, and feathers.

The original frame, richly openworked and decorated with floral volutes, is also carved from teak wood and clearly belongs to the period of the relief’s creation—a rarity, since most frames were later removed or replaced.

Dimensions
Relief: 105 × 52 cm
with original frame: approx. 120 × 67 cm
Weight approx. 18–20 kg

Condition
Very good, uncleaned original condition. Age-appropriate, warm brown patina without lightening or chemical treatment. No major losses, no notable cracks or wormholes (only minimal, old, inactive traces). The back shows the typical, untouched aging of the wood as well as old hanging fixtures. The frame with slight signs of use, intact and stable.

Provenance
Old Central European private collection; in Austria since at least the 1970s, probably acquired earlier directly from a colonial officer or trader in Bali.

A particularly large-format and outstandingly high-quality example of classical Balinese high-relief carving from the golden period before mass tourism. Comparable pieces of this size, depth, and preservation with original frame appear on the market only extremely rarely and today are found mostly in museums (e.g., Tropenmuseum Amsterdam, Museum Volkenkunde Leiden) or important private collections. See less