|
|
|
Traditional Wood Carving
Traditional-style pieces are still carved. These exotic, utterly imaginary compositions still hold a basic fascination for tourists: mythological characters like the great god Vishnu riding on the back of Garuda, a menacing demon brandishing a kris, and other immortal deities, villains, and legendary beasts from the Ramayana.
The freestanding Balinese religious statues once served as protective figures for households or as resting places for honored gods during prayer offerings and other ceremonies.
Dressed in classical attire and profusely ornamented, you'll find Anoman wrestling a serpent, a dancing Sita, and painted woodcarvings of a mythic bird to hang from your ceiling (called 'The Bird of Life'. This motif is used in cremation ceremonies as the bearer of a deceased person's soul to heaven).
|
