Musical Instruments
Kecapi, 'Elaborate Sound'
Ading presents this kecapi, a traditional Balinese zither that often lends its haunting melody to religious ensembles. The sound box is comprised of three tiers of mahogany glued together and finished with an outer layer of plywood.
Cekuntrung guitar, 'The Kangaroo'
Abstract patterns in dots and crosshatching depict a stylized kangaroo. Contrasting dramatically with the sleek, dark background, it lends a unique beauty to this zither.
Bamboo flute, 'Floral Melody'
A floral cascade falls along the shaft of this flute from the workshop of Nyoman Lentong. The floral imagery is executed with coconut ashes, while the bamboo is especially selected so that its varied diameters produce lower tones.
Bamboo flute, 'Ancient Dragon'
A dragon's body slithers seductively through the finger holes of this bamboo flute by Nyoman Lentong. Years of musical and artistic experience are evidenced in the skilled design, the shaft perfectly hollowed to produce enchanting melodies.
Pine maracas, 'Fish' (pair)
Working with coconut shells, Ading transforms them into the traditional Latin American maracas, a kind of rattle. He adorns the polished surface with Balinese lele, a slender fresh water fish. The handle is carved of pinewood.
Gourd shakere rattle, 'Natural'
Khoirul Anam crafts a colorful shakere, as beautiful as it is sonorous. Created from a dried maja fruit, it is enveloped in a woven, beaded web. The shakere is played by shaking it like a rattle or alternately, twisting the beads. Its handle is carved from albesia wood.
Flute, 'Dancing Dragon II'
A laughing dragon twines his handsome scales around the slim length of this exquisite flute by Nyoman Lentong. Known as a suling in Bali, the instrument is carefully crafted by hand. As an octogenarian, Lentong's years of experience and musical talent produce a beautiful tone.
Kecapi, 'Hidden Treasures'
The kecapi is a singular Balinese instrument, much like a zither, often lending its melodic sorcery to religious ensembles. This example is crafted from mahogany and plywood, as creative and sonorous design extracts perfected tones from the steel strings.
Wood statuette, 'Bigmouth Frog'
Working in richly-grained suar wood, Nyoman Karsa carves a curiously mouthy frog. The whimsical amphibian sticks out a long tongue that can be moved back and forth to make a noise. Karsa creates an unusual door knocker with Indonesian flair.
Kendang, 'Double Chalice with Ball'
Its voluptuous curves creating resonance of sound, this handsome kendang drum has two drumheads. Khoirul Anam, himself a musician, sculpts the beautiful drum from the rich grained of mahogany wood and affixes the goatskin drumheads with black nylon rope.