This pair of masks represents Rangda or Durga's (the Hindu Goddess of Death and Destruction) two pig-faced assistants, Lenda and Lendi. The masks are hand-carved, painted with natural pigments and decorated with coconut fibre and other organic materials.Ni Lenda Lendi is a worshipper of of Goddess Durga and was created from a shadow. She can transform herself into various forms that includes monkeys, crows, flaming balls among other things.These characters along with Durga appear in the Calonarang drama. A folktale with its origins in Java, Calonarang is the story of a powerful widow named Calon Arang, whose daughter, Ratna Manggali, was to wed King Airlangga. However, upon learning of her evil ways, the king calls off the engagement. The outraged widow turns to her magic and transforms into Rangda or Durga. The story ends with Rangda's triumph. Essentially, the story is about the containment of black magic. The drama is performed to commemorate the anniversary of the temple of the dead, the outbreak of a plague, as an educational tool on Indonesian history or solely for entertainment.The masks were reportedly made some forty years ago at one of the royal palaces in Denpassar. They were made for a royal family living at Puri Belaluan in Denpassar and was used on special ceremonial occasions.
