The Little Drum Player: Ambassador of Art Deco?

Wayang-style drum player, first half of the 20th century, 27 cm, private collection

Alongside dancers, and women or men seated in everyday postures, drummers are among the figures that were frequently reproduced in the 1930s and 1940s. It is easy to understand why. The basic structure common to all these musician figures is simple: the legs, crossed in a seated position, are merely suggested in the lower section through fairly schematic low relief, while the drum, cylindrical or in the form of a truncated cone, presents no particular difficulty, allowing the sculptor to focus on the arms, torso, head, and udeng (headdress), elements whose positioning often remains largely unchanged from one version to another. Naturally, as is always the case with modern Balinese sculpture, quality can vary considerably between two examples, and when a piece stands out, it does so through the quality of the wood or the degree of refinement in details such as the hands, feet, face, or garment.

Like many similar figures, this one was produced from a model offered in a catalogue to foreign buyers, particularly Americans, who could thus acquire a Balinese sculpture without leaving their own country. Under the base, one can read "Bali NEI – SSS – 355/10." This indicates that the sculpture dates from the colonial period of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), that it was sold through the New York firm Sajjan Singh Sarna (SSS), and that it corresponds to model no. 355 in the catalogue, in a version measuring 10 inches (25.4 cm) in height.

The treatment is typical of the style that emerged in Bali in the 1930s. That some have regarded this style as inspired by Western Art Deco is, in truth, hardly surprising. One need only compare the characteristics of this drummer figure with those of a genuinely Art Deco creation—such as the dancer by Maurice Pico that has adorned the façade of the Folies Bergère in Paris since 1926—to note clear similarities. While the dynamic curves of the Parisian dancer contrast with the angular pose of the Balinese musician, one observes here and there the same emphasis on linear play in ornamentation, the same repertoire of forms that are at once simplified and geometrized, slender fingers, a long nose, and almond-shaped eyes.

Dancer on the façade of the Folies Bergère by Maurice Pico, 1926, Paris, image licensed under Creative Commons

Some specialists now consider that, in the case of Balinese sculpture, these features are in fact derived primarily from the puppets of traditional shadow theatre (wayang kulit). For this reason, it would be more appropriate to speak of a "wayang" style rather than an "Art Deco" style in this context. Nevertheless, given that the Balinese, from the early 20th century onward, were exposed to visitors, objects, and images from all over the world, the carvers of this period could very well have been aware of Western Art Deco creations and, in doing so, consciously appropriated certain elements from this style. This is suggested, for example, by the highly stylized floral motifs appearing on the udeng and on the ornamental band surrounding this drummer’s instrument, which bear a striking resemblance to flower patterns designed by contemporary Western artists. One such example is a drapery created by André Mare around 1919, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Finally, another feature makes this piece particularly distinctive: it has retained, attached by a string tied to the left arm, the small keris with which it was originally delivered. A slit located in the back, at the top of the tunic between the shoulder blades, allows the tip of the sheath to be inserted, replicating the traditional way this object is worn. While many of these musician figures feature a similar slit, the keris is usually missing. In fact, I have yet to see another figure that has preserved it in this way.