(ORIGINAL ART). (BALI - KELIKI SCHOOL). Five original ink and watercolor illustrations, priced individually.

Gods, Monsters, and Frogs

(ORIGINAL ART). (BALI - KELIKI SCHOOL). Five original ink and watercolor illustrations depicting figures from Balinese mythology. (Bali: ca. 1980?)  (Each measuring between 188-224 mm. tall x 135-158 mm. wide.) India ink, watercolor, and acrylic on card stock.  In very fine condition.

Splendid Balinese miniature paintings by an artist of the Keliki School.

The stark black ink backgrounds and beautifully detailed figures composed of varied textures, patterns, and colors are typical of the so-called Keliki School, a style of painting that originated in a small village of the same name during the tourist boom of the 1970s and 80s. Though it is rooted in traditional practices that go back hundreds of years, the Keliki School uses modern materials such as card stock, India ink, acrylic, and watercolors introduced by Western artists who came to Bali from the 1920s on. Keliki scenes typically depict intricate motifs—daily rural life, lush flora, fauna, and Balinese mythological or folkloric narratives—with extreme detail demanding hours of meticulous concentration. In addition to perpetuating traditional arts and crafts, these paintings have provided important supplemental income for village artists, most of whom train from childhood.

Although we do not know the name of the artist who produced these fine works, three of the illustrations bear the initials "LDR" on the verso. The work is of very high quality, extremely polished, and unquestionably the work of a master.

The present works include the following subjects:

-The God Barong, king of the spirits and a symbol of good.

-Barong in battle against the demon queen Rangda, representing the balance between good and evil in the universe (x2).

-The monster Kala Rahu attempting to swallow the moon goddess Dewi Ratih, explaining the origin of the eclipse.

-Two anthropomorphic frogs (symbols of fertility and good fortune) dancing on lily pads. (1040)