Rectangular hanging (tabing) showing Arjuna and the Tree of Life, a scene from the Mahabharata

An exchange between Arjuna and one of his wives, Supraba (here embroidered overhead as “Subadero”) seems to be taking place in this tabing. Attired and gesturing like characters in a Balinese dance drama, Arjuna’s hand gestures with a poem perhaps intended for his beloved. The ornamental tree of life displaying three symmetrical lotus blossoms can be said to signify their meeting place, its sturdiness suggesting an abidingly fertile relationship between nature and culture, a significant theme in Bali, which thrives on its wet rice-growing production. The tree of life also mirrors the kayon in the shadow theater. Just as the kayon sets the stage for where the characters meet, the tree of life standing between the two figures invites an encounter on cloth. The mirrors placed on the side lotuses may also serve as reflective surfaces where gods may choose to come and go.