praying hands

With this relief panel, Indonesian artisan Wayan Rendah pays homage to Buddha. Surrounded by nature and seated atop a giant lotus flower, Buddha meditates while holding his hands in an expression of peace. This stunning relief is diligently hand-carved from suar wood with multiple layers that add intricacy and depth.

Deep in meditation, Buddha sits on a lotus blossom. The flowing lines of his robe are echoed in the delicate line of the petals. Holding prayer beads in his right hand, the master prays while making a gesture of blessing. Nyoman Sudiana sculpts the fluid contours from rich Balinese suar wood.

This beautiful rendition of Buddha seated on a lotus flower is designed and crafted by Wayan Rendah. Using Balinese suar wood, he carves the image by hand with brilliant attention to detail. Each fold and crease of Buddha's robe and lotus petal work is depicted with expert precision. The master sits in a traditional meditative prayer-pose and is sure to bring an aura of peace and calm to your home.

The Montalvo Family of artisans from Peru hand craft this cedar wood carving titled St. Joseph and the Baby Jesus. Hand carved and hand painted, the panel shows Jesus as a young child cradled by St. Joseph. The halos for both are illuminated with bronze leaf.

Balinese artist Made Pasek Kusuma Wijay chooses to express his plea for world peace in a painting depicting a woman's prayer. "The state of the world is not fine, given the many wars, conflicts between countries and very heartbreaking human tragedies," says the artist. "Let us pray sincerely that the world situation will return to peace as we strive to live a more simple, carefree life with mutual respect and tolerance between our existing differences. Despite the conditions of the world, we always yearn for peace itself.

"Galloping across a surreal mountain landscape, a team of horses carries forward the hope of an entire society from the lofty reality of the highlands to the life of the commoner below. Riding on the back of a bird resembling the Hindu god of strength, Garuda, a faceless woman prays to the divine spirits, having passed through a period of blood and turbulence. Garuda also prays with his human-like hands as if to encourage himself to continue his mission of vigilance.

"Reflected in the grass of the mountains, the woman's prayers mirror above and below the path of the raptor, symbolizing the transverse support from across the country for her mission. A handshake arises from the woman's mind in a floral accord between two immortal parties.

"In a world plagued by conflict and the horrors of violence, the woman's prayer, the subtle handshake and the impressive flight of the god of strength prescribe peace for all of humanity. Realism cannot deliver this humane desire to reality.

"Scaled to surreal proportions, the woman's prayers make multiple appearances in increasing size, while the mighty bird soars above an entire team of horses, with various hands apparent."

Seated atop a giant lotus in a pose of prayer, the Hindu god Shiva is depicted in this reverent sculpture from Indonesia. Wayan Rendah creates this sculpture, which he diligently carves by hand from suar wood. A stunning attention to detail marks Shiva's clothing and form.

Created for the World Peace Project, this exceptional Buddha closes his eyes as he peacefully prays for the world, raising his hand to bless his devotees in this magnificent sculpture designed by Motilal & Ayush in India. "Lord Buddha teaches us about peace, happiness and enlightenment,” the artisans say, adding, “The goal of Buddhism is to attain peace within oneself, detaching oneself from worldly suffering and eventually attaining the state of Nirvana.”

Hand-carved from kadam wood with fine detailing, reminding viewers and heralding peace at home and beyond.

The beautiful Bawang closes her eyes in meditation as her song of hope reaches the heavens and brings her riches. One of many of Bali's legendary characters, hers is a story of moral underpinnings as her destiny surprises her. Wayan Rendah hand-carves her visage from hibiscus wood to capture Bawang's ethereal origin with the wood's bicolor grain. Eloquently detailed, the mask features a bird pecking treasures on Bawang's head. A most vivid piece accompanied by mysticism to complement a personal collection.

A humble Bawang was envied by her sister Kesuna, who though rich, was full of lust and banished Bawang to the forest. Scared, Bawang began to pray for protection, her prayer akin to a bird's trill. Soon birds began to peck on her arms and neck leaving behind gold bracelets and necklaces. When Kesuna saw her sister's fate, she ran into the forest to seek protection, however instead of jewelry, she met only snakes and scorpions.

Hibiscus wood exhibits colors ranging from white to light gray, dark gray or even black heartwood. This natural occurrence can rarely be replicated, making each carving exceptionally unique. Please expect slight differences in wood grain color and distribution patterns. Theme and artistic quality remain the same.

With skill and artistic spirit, Wayan Rendah captures a Balinese legend in this hand-carved statuette. It is told that Ni Kesuna betrayed her sister Ni Bawang, causing her to flee from her home. Ni Bawang ran into the forest, where in her sadness she prayed to God for mercy and protection. After hearing birds singing, she sang to them as if to God, and in response the birds perched upon her wrists, neck, and hands, giving her gold jewelry and a crown. After Ni Bawang returned home, Ni Kesuna became envious of her and tried to recreate the scene herself. However, she ended up with snakes instead of birds.

This excellent work is sculpted from local suar wood.

Luxuriously gowned in an antique silver hue, a dancer personifies Yemanjá, the goddess of all the earth's waters and mother of all Candomblé orixás.

The Candomblé religion is widely observed in northeastern Brazil. The name derives from kandombele, a Congolese-Angolan word meaning "to pray." Practiced in South America since slaves were brought over from Africa by the Portuguese, it combines Yoruban practices with Roman Catholic imagery. The orixás, or gods, are the forces of the earth; song and dance are a form of worship, and the dance impersonates the god, inspiring myths and legends.

As an homage to the doctrine's cultural richness, Hugo Negrini crafts an image that is both stunning and ethnographically correct. He first carves the image in wood, taking as long as 50 or 60 days, depending on the degree of detail in the piece. When the statuette is ready, he makes a silicone rubber mold and casts the sculpture in resin.

Balinese artisan Nyoman Indrawati Subrata of the Subrata Family handcrafts this suar wood sculpture depicting Rama and Sita. They are the protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, The Ramayana, where the king Rama questions his wife Sita's fidelity. The image is sculpted and hand painted with exquisite details, including the ornate costume and headdresses of the king and queen. The artisan carries on the extraordinary art work of her late father, Nyoman Subrata.

A couple dressed in traditional Balinese attire sits side by side in prayer and meditation. Artisan Wayan Rendah’s exceptional pair of sculptures is meticulously carved by hand from local suar wood and polished to bring an extra touch of radiance to these striking creations.