Indonesia Male and Female Sculptural Carved, Painted Drapery Accessories

bali-b-8401

bali-b-8392

bali-b-8393

These very old, beautifully carved and painted Balinese figures were purchased from a friend who travels yearly to Bali for business related to the creation of his jewelry designs. Years ago, he shipped several containers filled with antique furniture and accessories, including these ornate “tie backs” over which curtains or drapes would gently swag to the sides of a window or doorway.

Carved and painted utilizing the same technique and style, it is obvious they were conceived and carved as a couple. The patina is lovely, while some of the paint on the faces has worn away over time the carving is outstanding leaving the detail of the facial features, the hair, and his chapeau to enchant. At the top of the J in each, there is a hole for hanging. They both have some dings from age as depicted, his staff appears to have been cracked and repaired prior to our purchase. They exude a gentle, peaceful beauty as either functional objects or as sculptural.

Measurements: 7.5″ – 8″ long x 15.5″ – 16″ tall x 2.0″ – 2.25″ wide

Vintage Carved and Painted Figures of a Man and Woman

Carved Couple

carved women

carved man

We discovered this wonderful pair of figures at the Heartland Antique Show in Richmond, Indiana in the middle 1990s. They had been brought to this nationally recognized show by a antique dealer from Iowa. She did not know the figures provenance but said she believed them to be from the late 30s to early 40s. They are delicate and beautifully carved with great skill exhibited in technique. The attire is well articulated, the man holds a hat behind his back. The hat must have been broken at some stage as it had been carefully glued together at the time of our purchase. The woman’s shoes have some loss of the black paint. She is also missing what we believe must have been a basket which rested upon her left hip. There is a small peg which juts from her hip, some absence of paint makes it apparent something had been applied and then painted. Her flaxen hair and some of her facial features have been sculpted from a composite material. Perhaps glue and sawdust? Both the male and female figure stand on their original stained bases, each approximately 4″ x 4.5″ x .5″ tall. The figures each stand approximately 10″ tall on their bases. Scribed in pencil on the bottom of the male figure’s base is “Seale,” nothing further was discovered about their origin.