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Lot 791: A collection of four framed Southeast Asian artworks including Balinese straw marquetry and Thai silk paintings
This collection consists of four framed decorative artworks produced in Southeast Asia, dating to the mid-20th century. The group comprises two distinct pairs: two Indonesian straw marquetry panels and two Thai paintings on fabric.
The first two panels are examples of straw marquetry, likely originating from Bali or Java. The technique utilizes split and flattened natural straw arranged to form figures in the traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppet style. The iconography features figures from the Mahabharata epic, possibly representing the warrior Arjuna and a female counterpart, presented against a black velvet or paper ground. These are housed in gilt wooden frames carved in a faux-bamboo style, reflecting mid-century decorative trends.
The remaining two pieces are Thai paintings on a textured woven ground, likely silk or cotton. They depict narrative scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai national epic. One panel shows a dynamic battle scene with a figure in a traditional chariot, while the second depicts two figures in elaborate chada headdresses in a garden setting with stylized floral motifs. The compositions are rendered in polychrome pigments with gold-tone accents on a dark brown background. They are set in simple black wooden frames with a narrow gilt inner fillet.
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