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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
David, the rendering of figures in Bali is very often quite relaxed.
A carver might think it is a good idea to carve an amalgamation of several figures, simply because that takes his fancy on the day, or the material he has suits it, or he thinks it will be commercially viable.
The people who make these things are essentially craftsmen trying to make a living. They are not Brahmin priests, so we shouldn't try to affix a specific identity to all figures.
Even when a specific character is intended to be represented, the Balinese carvers more often than not get it wrong, and have Ganesha with his trunk in the wrong hand, or with an attribute that does not belong to him.
Lets just say they do things a little bit differently in Bali.
Looks like a pretty fair sort of keris.
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I understand what you are saying Alan, but it doesn't keep me from wanting to better understand what the carver may have had in mind.
Here is a statue from Bali that was labeled Ganesha.
