Support for kris in the form of a demon. Indonesia, Bali, ca. 1930

Support for kris in the form of a demon. Indonesia, Bali, ca. 1930.
Carved and polychrome wood.
Presents breakage in the base.
Measurements: 75 x 35 x 31 cm.

It is possible that the personage represented is Rawa?a, main antagonist of the Hindu epic text Ramayana, where he is represented as the demon king warrior of Lanka. The Ramayana has had a great influence in the traditional cultures of the Asian Southeast, especially in Bali, that maintained its Hindu inheritance even after great part of the Indonesian archipelago was converted to the Islam. In this image, Rawa?a appears wearing a crown and warrior prince's robes.

In Bali, some ceremonial daggers, known as krises, were kept in sheaths carved with forms of people, animals or mythological figures. In this case, the sheath represents a demon holding a kris with a richly ornamented carved wooden hilt. These pieces were exclusive to wealthy and aristocratic families.