The demon king Ravana riding a mythical bird

Ravana, a demon king from the epic Ramayana, sits on his fierce mount, Wilmana. In the epic, Ravana abducts Sita, wife of the hero Rama, and takes her away on his chariot. The name “Wilmana” may be a corruption of the Sanskrit word vimana, which means “flying chariot for the gods.” In Javanese and Balinese, the word wil means a demon or evil spirit. The confusion of these words may have led to the interpretation of Ravana’s mount as a winged demon in Indonesia.
Dutch museum collections contain many Balinese images of Ravana and Wilmana, indicating the popularity of the subject. It is rare, though, to find an example as large and intricately carved as this one, which most likely dates from the nineteenth century.
How statues such as this one were used is not known. Architectural elements shaped like winged creatures sometimes served as a base for the pillars supporting the roof of a pavilion. When used in such a manner, these statues often contained space for a beam. Since this example lacks that feature it was likely a decoration for a royal palace.
—NR