Balinese story cloths, stenciled by men, such as dalangs (shadow puppeteers), and embroidered by women, functioned as ceremonial or celebratory offerings at religious festivals and life-cycle events. At their height of production in the 20th century, such cloths were found in only two districts: Bulelung in northern Java and Jembrana in the west, where the greatest number were made near the village of Negara. The tabing is a rectangular offering cloth that often depicts a specific scene from a narrative, or depicts several characters from a story who may or may not have ever shared a scene at all.

The Hindu epic Ramayana tells the story of Rama, an exiled prince living in the forest with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. When Sita was abducted by the demon-king Ravana, Rama and a faithful army of monkeys, led by his devotee, the monkey-warrior Hanuman, attacked Ravana’s kingdom of Lanka, vanquished the demon-king and rescued Sita, before returning to his kingdom at Ayodhya to take his place as the rightful and just king. Here, Kumbakarna, the giant brother of the evil Ravana, is shown clutching the monkey general Sugriva, while being menaced by the monkey warriors Maruti (Hanuman) and Ngado (Anggada, son of Subali). In the foreground the clowns Delem and Sangut, who in Balinese performances provide comic relief, engage in their inexplicable antics.