Featured Bali Art Deco carving. Latest addition, it's a girl.

No flunking the pencil test for her, ever.(LOL)

 

By a coromandel boy, no doubt.

 

Aha, I found the likely father:

 

I wonder whether the similarity of the Balinese ladies to artistic renderings of Venus bathing or at her toilette is just natural convergence or indication of influence going one direction to the other. Your girl's hair ornament reflects the knot often given to Venus (see left).

 

Their is no influence on either hairstyles from either hairstyles.
The flower on top of the head symbolizes a religious protective symbol, the eye of the sun. The brightness of the eye chases away darkness (evil).
These dancers wear central red flowers on their heads for the same reason:



The hair of the first girl is loose.
The second has the traditional Balinese hairstyle, the hair is tied back loosely in a ponytail, the ponytail is then passed under a lock above the ribbon that ties the ponytail. That way you get an asymmetric hairstyle, with the bulk of the hair at the back of the neck or shoulders.

 

Sorry, I did not express that well. Where I wonder if there was ever any influence is in the pose of 'crouching' or 'bathing' Venus & that of primping Balinese beauties & the inclusion of a mirror to signal something about the figure. Apart from her nudity, a mirror is often all you have to go by with Venus. I meant the similarity is enhanced by the way the hair knot & ornament affect the overall gestalt of each, not that there was any direct connection.

 

No influence there either. But I think there is a similar origin.
When I was in Bali ca 1970, you could still see Balinese girls bathing in rivers and age old sacred pools. After the bath they would dress and do their hair, using such a round hand mirror. They were very good at doing their hair with one hand, while holding the mirror in the other.
I imagine similar scenes could have been found in ancient Greece, which influenced Roman images as well.

 

I love the position of her legs, rather unique