Hand-carved in lavish detail, this cempaka wood relief panel from Ketut Sandi depicts the romance of Rama and Sita, as told in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Creating a wonderfully three-dimensional vignette, the artisan carefully executes every nuance of the couples' ornate dress and each leaf on the tree. The artisan chooses to leave the wood unfinished to highlight its beautiful grain.The Ramayana is an epic poem that plays a very important role in Hindu literature, life and culture. Tens of thousands of verses relate the story of Rama, an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, and his wife Sita.