'Goddess Sri Pudak,' statuette Reviews

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. Poised gracefully on a lotus blossom, Sri Pudak carries the accoutrements of her office in this delicate sculpture by Wayan Rendah. Revered throughout Bali, the beloved deity holds a leaf, sign of fertility, and a precious stone, representing prosperity. The bird on her shoulder is a symbol of life. Balinese farmers often organize feasts and temple celebrations in her honor during the rice harvest. Using the clear colors of natural crocodile wood to advantage, Rendah carves her slender, elongated form in a work of enduring beauty. Artisan Info: I Wayan Rendah's work has also been featured in Home Maker's magazine and in Keepers of the Arts, a beautiful hardcover book available through Novica. "I was born in Bali on June 17, 1973. I am the oldest of seven children, in a family consisting of four brothers and three sisters. I started to learn to sculpt at the age of eight when I was still in primary school, learning from my father how to carve traditional statues from wood. Balinese woodcarving touches me very deeply. I have learned a variety of arts in Bali, such as gamelan dance, but carving a piece of wood gives me an incomparable sensation. "At first, I sold my statues to the sellers in the art market and at small shops. After I finished school, I studied with Wayan Purna