Large deeply carved high relief Ramayana wall relief Bali (Indonesia), Ubud-Peliatan or Gianyar, 19th century. Teak wood (Tectona grandis), exceptionally deep and multi-layered carving, with a rich, warm brown aged patina. The entire pictorial surface is thickly covered 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 greenery - are depicted in a highly dynamic, almost baroque composition. The carving reaches a relief depth of up to 7-8 cm in some places and shows the finest details, down to facial expressions, hair, ornaments, muscles and feathers. The original frame, richly pierced and decorated with floral scrolls, is also carved from teak wood and clearly belongs to the period in which the relief was made, a rarity, as most frames have subsequently been removed or replaced. Dimensions Relief: 105 × 52 cm with original frame: approx. 120 × 67 cm Weight approx. 18-20 kg Condition Excellent original uncleaned condition. Warm brown patina, age-appropriate, without lightening or chemical treatments. No significant losses, no noteworthy cracks or wormholes (only minimal old, inactive traces). The back shows the typical aging of the wood, untreated, as well as the old suspension hooks. The frame shows slight signs of wear, is intact and stable. Provenance: ancient private collection from Central Europe; in Austria since at least the 1970s, probably previously purchased directly from a colonial officer or trader in Bali. A particularly large and very high quality example of classic Balinese high relief sculpture dating from the golden age before mass tourism. Pieces comparable in size, depth and state of conservation to the original frame appear on the market only very rarely and today are mainly found in museums (e.g. Tropenmuseum Amsterdam, Museum Volkenkunde Leiden) or in important private collections.
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SILVER Seller in Slovenia, Slovenia
