Vishnu on Mount Mandara, with the naga Vasuki and the turtle Kurma, likely early 20th century, 37 cm, private collection The sculpture was carved from a light-colored, lightweight wood – likely panggal buaya, or crocodile wood. A male figure stands at the top of a rocky mass. He wears an ornate headdress and richly decorated garments. He performs a ritual gesture, holding a botanical element between his palms joined against his chest. A fantastical serpent figure, itself ador

Vishnu by a carver of the Njana Tilem Gallery, last third of the twentieth century, 38 cm This beautiful figure of Vishnu, carved in pale wood (likely panggal buaya, also known as "crocodile wood"), dates from the last third of the twentieth century. The monogram of the Njana Tilem Gallery is engraved beneath the base. Founded in the late 1950s by Ida Bagus Tilem, eldest son of Ida Bagus Njana, this gallery is located in the village of Mas. To this day, it employs skilled scu