Rectangular hanging (tabing) depicting National logo and Arjuna with his wives

Indonesian nationalist influence is pervasive in this embroidered story-cloth in the form of two Garuda Pancisilas (“Five Principles”), proclaimed the State Emblem of Indonesia in 1945. The Garuda bird symbolizes strength and is illustrated to have a specific number of feathers that denote the date of the proclamation of Indonesian independence (17 August 1945). The shield represents defense and displays five symbols that signify the five precepts introduced by the first Indonesian President Sukarno: the central star symbolizes belief in one supreme god; the links of the chain represent a just and civilized humanity; the beringin tree ensures the unity of Indonesia; the bull’s head symbolizes democracy, guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives; and, finally, the stalks of rice and cotton point to social justice for all Indonesians. The shield held in the Baruda bird’s talons boasts the state motto of Indonesia, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or “Unity in Diversity.” The presence of the three letes “SMP” embroidered in the upper right corner suggest that this cloth may have hung on a wall in a local high school in Negara, Bali.