The Kuda Kepang dance ritual is obviously a favourite among Indonesian artists. In this Henry Butcher Art auction, two selections by Otto Djaya and Rudy Mardijanto deal with the theme. It uses a horse made up of wooden-bamboo decorated with cloth, paint, beads and sequins while others are of hide or pleated rattan. Originating in Java and later popular in Johor, it was formerly a trance dance like the Sanghyang dance. When possessed, the dancers could perform feats like eating glass. Although Otto Djaya, full-name Otto Djajasuntara, was known in Indonesian art circles, the full scale of his contributions became known in his belated Retrospective titled, 100 Years of Otto Djaya, at the Indonesian National Gallery in Jakarta in September-October 2016. Some 172 works displayed were loaned from the niche collection of Hans Peter and Inge-Marie Holst, who are now based in Kuala Lumpur. Born in Rangkasbitung in West Java in 1916, Djaya learned Art at the Persagi atelier, headed by his elder brother Agus (1913-1994). A soldier with the rank of ‘Major,’ he was injured in the fight for Indonesian indepenedence. Together with Agus, he studied at the Rijks Academy in Amsterdam in 1947-50, and his works were accepted at the Grand Prix de Peinture de Monaco in Monte Carlo. He also took part in the Sao Paulo Biennale in Brazil. He had not looked back since his first solo in Jakarta in 1978. He made his debut in the Henry Butcher May 29, 2015 auction.