New Arrivals

A Timely Myth!

	Ider-Ider or Festival Banner Depicting Scene From The Arjuna Wiwaha; Bali, Indonesia; Early 20th C.; 65 L x 18.5 H Inches;  I.D. #P1105-001

What is a myth? Is it simply a story conveying a traditional cultural belief or a fallacious idea? Must a myth be based in fiction, not fact, and be demonstrably false to even qualify as a myth? The show Mythbusters used science to dispel all manner of myths, but it did little to chase away stories from ancient times. More a matter of faith than fact, those stories persist precisely because they cannot be proven false. No one can say whether the gods, heroes, muses and monsters found in ancient sagas ever really existed beyond human imagination. Yet, the stories and the lessons they teach continue to be perpetuated by artists and mythologists through the creation of art like this week’s New Arrival.

Detail of Balinese Ider-Ider painted on cotton cloth with natural pigments; I.D. # P1105-001; see related blog to learn more

This week’s New Arrival features a “story cloth” from Bali in Indonesia. Called an Ider-Ider, it is actually a valance found in Balinese temples only a few days per year. Ceremonial and functional rather than commercial and decorative, it was painted as an offering meant to express the devotion of the artist as opposed to their personal viewpoint. This piece illustrates a myth called the Arjuna Wiwaha. In this story Prince Arjuna offends the gods, resists temptation, and defeats a demon. As a myth, it deals with enticement, seduction, deception, awakening, and salvation - a sequence of themes especially relevant today. As narrative painting, it confirms and brings clarity to the old adage, every picture tells a story!