Offering cloth (lamak) depicting a demon warrior (Widur Budi)

There is a whole class of powerful beings other than Hindu gods and indigenous Balinese deities, called raksasas. They can take several forms: as genii, giants, or demons or ogres. Lesser raksasas appear very often in Balinese embroideries, usually as warriors brandishing spears, clubs or swords. They often have sneering ugly faces with fans, bulbous noses, and protruding tongues. Despite (or perhaps because of) their aggressive ways and ugly appearances, the raksasas are common and popular images in much Balinese folk art. This unusually long, vertical offering-cloth shows Widur Budi, a fearsome raksasa (demon warrior) who may be a character from the Panji cycle of stories emanating from East Java.