Beschreibung:

Indonesia (circa 1948) Provenance: -Harry Dijkman (1920-1994), thence by descent to the present owner The temptation of Arjoena, from the Kakawin (An old Javanese poem) Arjoena Wiwaha. Arjoena was the famous hero from the Mahabharata; a religious and philosophical epos from India. Arjoena, in the centre is in deep meditation. Two heavenly nymphs, Suprabha and Tilotttama, sent by the Gods, attempt without success to seduce him. Made from sonokeling wood (Indian rosewood) H 23 cm, L 15.5 cm Ida Bagus Njana belonged to the highest caste, that of the influential Brahmins who found spirituality more important than material prosperity. The family descended from the Dang Hyang Nirath, the great saint of the Balinese Hinduism who, before the introduction of Islam on Java, fled to Bali in order to spread religious reforms on the island. He married the daughter of the local headman in Mas and a son from this marriage , Ida Putu Mas, was the founder of the Brahmin clan in Mas. The temple of this clan stands opposite the old house of Njana. Just as their forefathers, the Brahmins from Mas were priests, woodcarvers or architects. Njana received a traditional education from teachers of his own caste including his father Ida Bagus Saren. This educated man, who later became a priest, was also an architect and decorator. Njana’s education included among others, attending lectures on poetry and ancient stories. A visit to a puppet theatre and studying old manuscripts on Balinese architecture were was also part of his education which formed him as a traditional artist. This changed with the arrival of western artists such as Covarrubias, Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet who, with their modern style of painting influenced the Balinese painters and sculptors. It is said that in 1930 Gela Foster, who later would become Mrs. Archibald Archipenko, was introduced to Nyana and Gelodog. Gela who was a sculptor herself worked with them for a while in their workshop in Mas In 1935 Njana made the wood carving Dewi Petri (Goddess of the earth) in an elongated springy style. This elongated style from Mas would spread over the whole island with Njana and his nephew/cousin Ida Bagus Ketoet Gelodog as shining examples. Together with other young artists, sculptors and goldsmiths, they were members of the Pita Maha, an artists' association, established by western artists, Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet the legendary Balinese artist I Goesti Njoman Lempad and the nobleman Tjokorde Gede Raka Soekawati. The objective of the artists' association was to raise the level of the paintings and sculptures which were being purchased as souvenirs by tourists. In the 1940’s Njana’s style of carvings/sculptures changed. In this so-called transitional period, the elongated, lean forms changed into fuller forms with little decoration, (see catalogue nrs. 139 and 140). These carvings/sculptures now on offer, are the only ones known so far from the transitional period, besides the sculptures from the collection from the National Museum of World Culture and whose origin are of the same period 1947/1948. Later on Njana distanced himself from this transitional period and in the 1950’s began to carve his statues in a closed compact form, where fat, sleeping men and women, would become typical for this period, and which established him as one of the most important Balinese sculptors/ woodcarvers of his time. Frans Leidelmeijer, October 2020 Black and white photo illustration taken from Harry Dijkman’s private photo collection Good condition; no damage or restoration.