Falling in love with Indonesian Lava Stone
Touching down from Portland, into Denpasar, Bali, a kind of familiarity washes over me. I am surrounded by lush greenery and an abundant natural world. Of course, the crisp, dry air that I’m accustomed to is replaced with thick humidity and for some, unbearable heat. I relish in the warmth and drive, happy and wide-eyed, to my destination in the middle of the island. As I set off on the twisty two lane road, I am immediately struck by the gods, tiny temples and figures that peak out at me from the sides of the road. Juxtaposed against the vibrant green landscape are stone statues, sometimes tiny, sometimes mammoth, that I come to learn are hand-carved out of lava stone.
Bali is the only Hindu majority province in Indonesia and as such, is uniquely adorned with temples, offerings and monuments to various Hindu deities. A popular travel destination in Bali is the Balinese temple where you will, of course, find these beautiful carvings. For me, the more striking discovery is how many altars and shrines I find wandering the streets of a bustling place like Ubud. Every morning, I find woven palm leaves with a myriad of vibrant offerings to the Hindu gods and the occasional Buddha on sidewalks, tucked in alleyways, or surrounding carved lava stone statues.
Just a few miles drive from Ubud I find stone carving workshops nestled between rice paddy fields. Outside, dozens of Vishnu and Ganesha line the street waiting to be taken to their new home. During my time in Bali, I pine for these beautiful statues as I watch the skilled craftsmen chisel away at the stone with such precision and vision. I dream of them growing mossy and green in my Pacific Northwest backyard, while serving as a perpetual reminder of Bali’s beauty. Alas, there’s no way that I can bring a 50 pound stone statue on the plane, or even afford to ship it. I resign myself to bringing only memories and photos home with me.
Flash forward a few months, I am back to work at Cargo excitedly awaiting arrivals from a new container when I felt that old twinge of familiarity. Slowly Ganesha and Buddha and pagodas are pulled from their crates and unwrapped to reveal that familiar porous black stone that I fell so in love with on that little island in the Indian ocean.
Shop Cargo’s Indonesian lava stone, hand carved in Java!
