Tjili or Tjau

Bali, Indonesia, 1950’s
Provenance: Private French Collection

Tjili or Tjaus are Balinese harvest offerings dedicated to Dewi Sri, the Indonesian rice Goddess. These dolls were placed in rice fields during a harvest to encourage a successful season. Once the rice was cut, the Tjili dolls were preserved in the granaries as protective agents. These dolls are elaborately hand-woven out of palm leaves and often painted. The remnants of this example’s face are still visible, albeit faded, and would have originally been painted with an organic pigment.

Height: 10 3/4 in.
IN 11-11-15 / Price on Request