Mid-Century Balinese Art Deco Elongated Maiden Bust in Premium Hardwood

Details

Description

An exceptional, gallery-grade mid-century Balinese modernist portrait bust depicting an elegant noble maiden. Standing a beautiful 12½ inches tall, this … Read more An exceptional, gallery-grade mid-century Balinese modernist portrait bust depicting an elegant noble maiden. Standing a beautiful 12½ inches tall, this pristine sculpture is a textbook example of the post-war Balinese Art Deco movement, displaying the dramatic structural elongation, fluid lines, and geometric grace popularized by the master studios of Mas.
Hand-carved from a single solid block of premium, warm reddish-brown tropical hardwood, the piece displays a remarkable fine-grained surface and a rich natural patina. The maiden is styled in full ceremonial regalia, featuring an impossibly sleek, elongated neck that sweeps up to a dramatic, towering backward-curved headdress. Her serene, meditative facial features are framed by a highly detailed incised tiara ornament and traditional circular ear plugs (Subeng). The underside of the wide pedestal base retains a crisp, deeply chiseled vintage export mark reading "HAND MADE IN BALI / INDONESIA". Preserved in absolute museum-quality condition, this showcase piece is entirely flawless, with all sharp geometric contours, delicate ear loops, and the tall headdress tip 100% intact.

Art Movement: Balinese Modernist Art Deco / Golden Era Export Style

Region of Origin: Mas, Ubud District, Bali, Indonesia

Artist: Unsigned Artisan Master

Material: Solid Premium Tropical Hardwood (Teak / Satinwood)

Condition: Pristine vintage condition; structurally flawless with no checking, splits, chips, or restorations; beautiful smooth satin finish.

Dimensions
Height: 12½ inches
Width: 4.5 inches
Depth: 1 3/4 inches

Estimated Era
Circa 1950s–1960s (The Post-War Golden Renaissance)
The extreme, fluid vertical lines of the headdress combined with the specific stylized geometry of the profile and the early hand-carved style of the regional export stamp place this piece right at the peak of the mid-century modern Balinese art movement. See less