1002 Antique Balinese Art Star Calendar Palelitangan Painting

RARE FINE COTTON BASE THAT HAS NO LAYER OF LACQUER OR ORGANIC LAMINATION [such as those seen on the later ones]

STAR CALENDAR (PALELINTANGAN), TABING
The Balinese calendar integrates the Indian-derived lunar (saka) calendar with an indigenous system of weekly cycles (wuku) which constitute a 210-day year made up of different sequences of named days. The 210-day year consists of 30 seven-day weeks, each with its own name. Running concurrently with the seven-day weeks are a set of other ‘weeks’ of varying numbers of days. The five and seven-day weeks are the most important, because together they produce the 35 day month (tumpek) which is an important period of prognostication, particularly with regard to the date of birth. The tumpek is the most frequently painted calendar and is known as palelintangan, after lintang, the constellations. The calendar covers every combination of the five- and seven-day weeks. The seven days are vertical columns with the God, wayang figure, bird and tree appropriate to that day at the top and the animal and demonic figures (buta) at the bottom. Each day of the five-day week is a horizontal row, and as both weeks run at the same time the days succeed one another diagonally.

Pigment on European cotton cloth. Does not have the lacquer-type varnish that is seen in younger pieces.

Boats, horses, houses & more!

Estimated to be from the mid 1800s

130 x 170 cm

Several spots of age-related damage as can be seen. In fragmentary torn condition.

Very Very rare and precious.

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This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

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