Balinese silver hoops with intricate bird detail.
Balinese silversmiths are extremely skilled at hand carved, intricate detailing as exemplified in these beautiful hoops.
Balinese metal smiths have always been held in awe. The word ‘pandai’ means both ‘smith’ and ‘clever’. A group of smiths from Singaraja, in the North part of the Island, trace their line back before the immigration of the Majapahit Javanese. Another clan of smiths consider themselves direct descendants of Brahma, the fiery Hindu God. The symbolic importance of precious metals in Hindu cosmology is reflected in the belief that the triple peaks of Mt. Meru, the abode of the Gods and the center of the world, are made of gold, silver and iron.