Antique The Balinese WUKA Calendar 44 Pictorial Hand Painted Scenes 44\" X 30\" For Sale

Bali’s complex system of multiple calendars determines whether a particular day is favorable for a variety of activities, including weddings, trade, thievery, doctor’s visits, planting rice, and beginning a journey, just to name a few. Important ritual events and major holidays celebrated by Bali’s Hindu population are plotted by the convergence of days between the 210-day calendar (Pawukon) and the lunar calendar (Saka).PIGMENT ON COTTON or Tempera on CottonPALELINTANGAN OR BALINESE CALENDAR
BALI, INDONESIA
MID / LATE 19TH C.Antique The Balinese WUKA Calendar 44 Pictorial Squares Hand Painted Scenes 44\" X 30\". Might be Balinese or Javanese Calender. Although, most show 49 squares. This one has 44 squares. This is hand Painted, on coarse cloth. Very nice and Rare piece. Has no frame. The piece is in good condition. Has three cutts in bottom left side. See pics.Has bright colors, with some creases, and paint chipping. See photos for details on the condition.The Balinesewukucalendar is one of the 2 traditional calendars (the other being the Hindu,sakacalendar) used to determine the dates for auspicious events, such as ceremonies. Thewukucalendar, also called theuku, orpawukon, uses the 210 day lunar cycle. Intricately designed, this calendar divides the days into weeks that are 1 to 10 days in length. All the weeks operate concurrently, each having a special name. Every day, of every week also has a special name. Each one of the 30 7-day weeks also has its own name.

Balinese priests are expert in analysing this system and the Bali Museum has a wonderfulwukucalendar on the wall, each day represented with its own picture, depicting various daily scenes. This calendar, when viewed laterally you have the 30 weeks (wuku). Viewed top to bottom, you have the 7 days weeks. The 1st week is calledWuku Sinta, the 2nd weekWuku Landep, the 3rd weekWuku Ukirand so on. The 30th week is calledWuku Watugunung. Each square is painted with a lucky, or unlucky scene, meaning certain activities, such as building a new house, or a cremation ceremony can only take place on special days and weeks.

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