Producer unknown to us
Figurine of Devi Sri
Asia, Indonesia, Bali
1960s
Leaves of the lontar palm, cut, braided, sewed
Waltraut Ihme (teacher) collected the figurine in Bali during the 1960
Donation to the museum by Dorothea Ihme in 2020
SAs 17430
Although the name of the Balinese goddess of rice is of Indian origin, her roots go back much further into the history of the Southeast Asian islands. She is closely associated with the emergence of agriculture in the region and is one of the most significant goddesses of creation and protection.
With the establishment of Hinduism in Indonesia, she received her Sanskrit name, which she still bears in Bali. In Sanskrit, Dewi means goddess and Sri stands for wealth, health, beauty, and luck. At the same time, some attributes of the Indian goddess Lakshmi, the wife of the god Vishnu, were transferred to her.
On Bali, the goddess is first and foremost associated with rice cultivation and is considered the patron saint of rice plants. Small so-called Cili figures, woven from lontar or pandan leaves, are placed in shrines at the edges of the fields, built for cultivation rituals to protect the fields and plants and ensure a bountiful harvest.
Waltraut Ihme acquired this figure and 11 other items in the 1960s during several vacations on the island of Bali and from merchants located near her workplace. In 2020, her daughter Dorthea donated the figure to the museum.
Dietmar Grundmann