The carved wooden figure in this showcase, purchased in Bali in the 1930s, is a representation of the Hindu god Arjuna. In the epic poem, Mahabharata, Arjuna was the son of Indra, the king of the celestials, and defended the gods against evil forces to restore the stability of the universe. Episodes from the Mahabharata are amongst the most popular subjects in traditional Balinese arts.
This figure was most likely intended as a devotional item to be placed in a temple or home. Its traditional style suggests it was made before the 1920s, when avant-garde artists such as the German Walter Spies and Dutchman Rudolf Bonnet settled in Bali. These artists were profoundly influenced by Bali’s traditional art as well as the tropical landscape. In turn, their presence led local artists to experiment with non-traditional forms. Most Balinese art is now made for the international art and tourist markets rather than ritual devotion.
The Museum continues to conduct field surveys in South East Asia. Dr Jodi Rowley and colleagues have discovered more than 20 new frog species in the Mekong since 2006, with the Museum housing most of the type specimens used to describe and name the species. Most Mekong frogs are adapted to very specific environments, many of which are threatened by deforestation. Frogs also figure prominently in the cultures of the Mekong. Under the frog specimens on the left is a Dong Song bronze frog drum from Laos. Frog drums were the most-prized possessions in Dong Song families and were used in ceremonies to invoke the influence of the ancestral spirits embodied in the drums.
In the glass jars at the front are several specimens from Francis Day’s collection of fishes. Day was Inspector General of Fishes in India and Burma in the 1880s and named 343 species of marine and freshwater fishes from an area that extends from Burma to. Despite his English connections, Day offered part of the collection to the Australian Museum instead of the British Museum.