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Wood-Carvers
The villages of Pujung, Jati, and Tegallalang, on the road from Ubud to Gunung Batur, are great places to wander around and meet carvers. Sebatu is another really active family-oriented woodcarving center (check out the huge elephants at Sedana Yogya by I Wayan Genjur). Nearly the whole population of these communities, including the children, are busy turning chunks of hibiscus, sawo, and belalu into technicolor sculptures of trees, fruit, flowers, flying angels, cartoon figures, or whatever. Prices are very reasonable (don't forget to take cash), and you'll see pieces hard to find in the high-priced factories of Mas and Kemenuh. If you want something made to order, it isn't a problem and will usually take about two weeks. Some of Bali's best woodcarvers also come from the villages of Singakerta and Pengosekan, both are walk-able from Ubud. The best kodok (frog) work on the island can be found in these two villages. Batuan (near Ubud) is the place to shop for carved wood panels. You can find Buddha statues, still very much in vogue, come in two sizes: big ones and small ones; old men and pedanda; a grandmother and grandfather pair. The singa (lion) motif is also seen widely. A unique collectible are lontar, the fan-like leaves of a species of palm tree. For hundreds of years sacred texts have been meticulously inscribed on these dried strips of palm, shaped like rulers. These masterpieces of illustrative art and calligraphy provide the only record of ancient Balinese culture, history, and literature. Chess sets of carved teakwood (or bone) are also quite distinctive. For carved chopsticks, you can buy at some foot peddlers on Kuta. They are beautifully carved with owl-head, abstract, or garuda designs. One abiding product is whole-carved banana, durian, or coconut palm trees, colossal heavy and hanging with wooden fruit. It takes about a month to produce one of these two-meter-tall trees. The wood used is Albizzia Falcata, which is easy to work with and readily available. Also found are giant wooden replicas of the "high offerings" which disassemble and fit solidly back together again. Fruits like rambutan and jackfruit come alive under the carver's skillful hands. The center for this type of carving is Tegalalang (Gianyar). For something different, the more ancestral woodcarvings of the un-Javanized Bali Aga people of the uplands have a more primitive feel than those produced in the Hinduized portions of the island. To see traditional 'gamelan' instrument makers carve ornate stands and frames for instruments, visit the workshop of Pak Gabeleran in Blahbatuh, and the Gong Kembar factory near the village of Tihingan, 10 km southwest of Klungkung. |
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