{"product_id":"antiek-balinees-tempelbeeld-koninklijke-figuur-in-sembah-ca-1890-1930-67-8-cm","title":"Antique Balinese Wood Sculpture with Original Gilding – Indonesia c. 1900","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e H 67.8 × W 18.5 cm\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 kg\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bali, Indonesia\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c. 1890–1930\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-carved solid wood with polychrome decoration and surviving gold leaf\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAntique Balinese Wood Sculpture with Original Gilding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA striking example of traditional Balinese wood carving, this tall ceremonial figure combines courtly elegance with the religious visual language for which Bali is renowned. The sculpture dates to around the turn of the 20th century and retains something increasingly difficult to find: an extensively aged surface in which the original craftsmanship, decoration and later history remain visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe male figure is represented frontally, his hands held together before his chest in the traditional \u003cstrong\u003esembah gesture\u003c\/strong\u003e. In Balinese culture this gesture expresses reverence and respect and is closely associated with ceremonial and devotional practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis elaborate crown, jewellery, elongated ornaments and richly decorated costume identify him as a figure of elevated status. He may represent a royal, heroic or divine personality from the Balinese Hindu tradition. Without an original temple context or documented provenance, however, we prefer not to assign the sculpture to a specific deity or character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSurviving Gold Leaf Beneath a Century of Wear\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most interesting discoveries during our examination was the presence of \u003cstrong\u003egenuine surviving gold leaf\u003c\/strong\u003e. Small areas of gold remain protected within recesses of the crown, costume and carved ornamentation, while exposed surfaces have lost considerably more of their original finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis differential wear is particularly revealing. Raised areas such as the face, hands, feet and projecting decoration have been repeatedly worn, while pigment and gilding survive more strongly inside protected details.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eClose examination also reveals a complex decorative structure beneath the visible surface. Red layers and pale preparation layers can be seen where the upper decoration has been lost. Rather than presenting a uniform modern finish, the sculpture preserves a fragmented sequence of earlier surface treatments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat the Underside Reveals\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe base provides an unusually useful record of how the sculpture was made and how the wood subsequently aged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMagnified photographs reveal numerous short, intersecting tool marks across the underside. The base was not machined into a perfectly flat surface; instead, its irregular contours preserve evidence consistent with traditional manual woodworking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe solid timber has also developed substantial natural shrinkage. A pronounced drying crack extends through part of the lower structure, accompanied by smaller age-related fissures and considerable wear around the edges of the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese details are important because they are largely hidden when the sculpture is displayed. They provide additional physical evidence of traditional construction and the long-term movement of the timber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAn Old Sculpture with a History of Restoration\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis figure has \u003cstrong\u003ebeen repaired and restored during its lifetime\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe major shrinkage crack was stabilised and partially filled during an earlier intervention. Other local areas also show evidence of repair and retouching. We have deliberately documented these features rather than concealing them in the description.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe exact date of these repairs cannot be established visually, and we therefore do not claim that every restoration is contemporary with the original use of the sculpture. What can be observed is that the timber had already undergone significant shrinkage before at least some of these interventions were undertaken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDating the Sculpture\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe attribute the figure to \u003cstrong\u003ec. 1890–1930\u003c\/strong\u003e, placing it around the transition from the late 19th to the early 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis dating is based on the object as a whole rather than any single feature: traditional hand-tool marks, shrinkage of the solid timber, an earlier structural repair, extensive surface wear, multiple decorative layers and surviving areas of gold leaf all contribute to the assessment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA substantially earlier date cannot be established from visual examination alone, so the sculpture is intentionally offered with the more conservative c. 1890–1930 attribution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBalinese Craftsmanship on a Large Scale\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u003cstrong\u003e67.8 cm high\u003c\/strong\u003e, this is considerably more imposing than the small decorative Balinese carvings commonly encountered on the market. The tall crown and sharply rising back element create a particularly strong vertical silhouette, while the finely carved jewellery and costume reward examination at close range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts appeal lies equally in what has survived and what has disappeared. Areas of gold, red and dark polychromy alternate with exposed preparation and worn wood, creating a surface that records decades of ageing, handling and restoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a collector of Indonesian or Southeast Asian art, these traces of its physical history are an important part of the character of the sculpture rather than imperfections to be disguised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eObject Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Antique Balinese carved wood figure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal, heroic or divine male figure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGesture:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sembah, with hands joined before the chest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bali, Indonesia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c. 1890–1930\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Solid hand-carved wood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecoration:\u003c\/strong\u003e Historic polychromy with surviving gold leaf\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 67.8 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 kg\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Age-related wear, losses to paint and gilding, natural shrinkage cracks and evidence of previous restoration and stabilisation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice: €2,950\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1stbuddha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58102352085323,"sku":"696","price":3503.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/6170\/5547\/files\/antiek-balinees-tempelbeeld-indonesie-ca-1900.jpg?v=1786460697","url":"https:\/\/1stbuddha.com\/fr\/products\/antique-balinese-wood-sculpture-original-gilding-circa-1900","provider":"1stbuddha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}