Balinese Barong Handle

[A. G. Maisey]

Yep.

Gustav

I agree completely that this handle does not use Balinese motifs, but I think it probably was carved in Bali.

The Balinese carvers are perhaps the best in the world, and in the current era they borrow forms and motifs from other cultures and societies. This is very good carving, it uses kayu arang (or ireng) which is commonly used in Balinese carvings. I think it is a very nice piece of current era Balinese art that has borrowed the motifs from elsewhere.

You're pretty good in identifying cultural origin of motifs, and you give the lion as Sinhalese. I am not disputing this, but my own feeling was more towards Siamese. Can you give a reference that ties this lion form to Ceylon?