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Documents + Drawings

P1105-010
Tabing or Story Cloth Depicting Kala Rahu From the Adiparwa
Klung Kung Culture
Bali, Indonesia
Early 20th c.
Cotton with pigment
58'' W x 62'' H
$2,895

The tradition of Balinese cloth painting stems from storytelling. They narrate visual scenes from Balinese myths and the Hindu epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Sizes vary, some being several feet long to festival banners being over 30 feet in length. They feature a range of characters such as Hindu deities and demons, Balinese folklore heroes and even everyday scenes of Balinese life. Such elaborate story cloths were commissioned by royalty, nobles and temple councils.