Mid-Century Balinese Teak Cockfighter With Double-Rooster Openwork Cage Sculpture

Details

Description

An extraordinary, highly detailed mid-century Balinese expressionist realism genre sculpture depicting a traditional rooster breeder or trainer (Sabung). Hand-carved from … Read more An extraordinary, highly detailed mid-century Balinese expressionist realism genre sculpture depicting a traditional rooster breeder or trainer (Sabung). Hand-carved from a single compact block of solid premium Teak wood, this unsigned masterwork showcases an incredible pinnacle of three-dimensional negative space and fine anatomical definition.
The scene features a magnificent, double-layered architectural composition. The master artisan intricately hollowed out a central bamboo-style rooster basket (Kisa) to form a pristine geometric openwork lattice cage. Remarkably, the hidden interior space features a fully carved miniature chicken resting entirely loose on the basket floor, while a proud, highly stylized prize rooster sits perched atop the basket's upper rim. An old man crouches alongside the cage, holding a traditional woven leaf scoop container. The natural timber grain is phenomenal, displaying a rich, deep-toned caramel and honey palette with dense ripple tracking across his sinewy back. It remains in flawless vintage condition, entirely complete with all fine lattice strands, comb points, and feathers 100% intact.

Art Movement: Balinese Modernist Realism / Mid-Century Master Genre Style

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

Artist: Unsigned Artisan Master

Material: Selected Highly Figured Solid Teak Wood (Kayu Jati)

Condition: Flawless vintage condition; structural integrity is perfectly preserved with zero chips, splits, or repairs; all incredibly thin lattice strands are pristine.

Dimensions
Height: 6 1/2 inches
Width: 6 inches
Depth: 5 1/2 inches

Estimated Era
Circa 1950s–1960s (The Golden Post-War Renaissance)
The heavy, compact blockiness of the base platform paired with the intense, deep-pierced double-carving layout of the hollow cage completely isolates this work to the golden age of the post-war export market. This was a timeframe when regional masters spent weeks hand-chiseling dense pieces for elite international galleries. See less