Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE WOODCARVERS OF MAS
Woodcarving
, like all the arts in Bali, was traditionally used only to decorate temples and
palaces, but the early twentieth century saw a growing interest in
secular subjects
and
a rise in creativity. Artists began to court the burgeoning tourist market with carvings of
nudes, lifelike animals and witty portraits, and a whole new genre evolved in just a few
years.
By the mid-1930s, however, creativity and standards were slipping, so a group of influ-
ential artists and collectors established the
Pita Maha
foundation to encourage Bali's best
carvers to be more experimental. One of these carvers was
Ida Bagus Nyana
, from the
village of Mas, who from the 1930s to the 1960s produced works in a range of innovative
styles, including abstract elongated human figures, erotic compositions of entwined limbs,
and smooth, rounded portraits of voluptuously fat men and women. His son,
Ida Bagus
Tilem
, was particularly famous for his highly expressive pieces fashioned from contorted
roots and twisted branches. Works by both artists are on show at the
Njana Tilem Gallery
in Mas. The Jati artist
I Nyoman Cokot
developed a “free-form” style that turned mon-
strous branches into weird, otherworldly creatures, while his son,
Ketut Nongos
, lets his
supernatural beings emerge from the contours of weatherworn logs and gnarled trunks.
The legacy of these trailblazers can be seen in almost every souvenir shop in Bali, many
of which sell goods that suffer from the same lowering of artistic standards that those artists
sought to combat. Few
contemporary woodcarvers
have attained the same status as the
stars of the Pita Maha.
Njana Tilem Gallery
Approximately halfway along the Mas-Ubud road, about 2km north of the baby Brahma statue • Daily
9am-5pm • Free • 0361 975099
The
Njana Tilem Gallery
is home to one of Bali's most famous woodcarving families. It dis-
plays the work of
Ida Bagus Nyana
(also spelt Njana) and his son,
Ida Bagus Tilem
, whose
descendants still run the workshop, shop and gallery displaying some of their finest originals.
The quality and craftsmanship here is breathtaking. Once you've seen the best, you're ready
to browse the street, but be aware you'll need to bargain hard.
Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets
Jl Br Tegan Bingin, to the east of the village on the way to Tengkulak • Daily 8am-4pm • Free •
0361 898
7493,
setiadarma.org
The
Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets
houses a huge collection of more than 1200
masks and 4700 puppets from around the world, with plenty from Bali and Indonesia, includ-
ing a fine array of
Topeng
masks and
wayang kulit
puppets. There's not enough space for
the whole collection to be displayed but a good selection is on show in the glorious antique
