Balinese Wood Carving

The Balinese sculpture with natural media - wood, stone, bone, horn, deadwood, and even gnarled tree roots. Nowadays, souvenir-caliber wood carving is churned out and successful creations are mass produced. Any visitor to Bali is likely to be exposed to wood carving in all forms, be it the traditional ornate carved doors, the carved figures of gods, or the countless carved items in craft shops.

Wood carving is a craft practiced all over Bali. Open your ears to the tapping sound of the carver's mallet and you would know that there is one around. It would be taxing to separate traditional and foreign influences.

However, Balinese are intense observers of the outside world, effortlessly incorporating and adapting foreign themes into their work. For quality wood carving, head to Tegallalang, Pujung, and Sebatu, which is north of Ubud. It is a great area to meet woodcarvers; it is best to take note of the artist's name and visit him at the workshop to negotiate a better price.

Bali is a perfect place for western artists to study their crafts. There are wood carving lessons in which you can learn to carve your own mask in about three weeks.

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Painting

Balinese painting is classified into certain groups and styles, not without some overlaps and a few that do not fit into any of the main styles.
First is the Kamasan or classical painting, which is also named
the wayang style.

This style can be traced back to ninth century Javanese sculpture that features wayang figures, rich floral designs, and flame-and-mountain motifs characteristic of classical Balinese painting. There is also the Pita Maha, which literally means 'great vitality'. 

This group was formed when painting was dying out as an art form and in a serious decline due to styles becoming stagnant. Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet were western artists who, along with their patron Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati, formed the Pita Maha to encourage painting as an art form and seek a market for the best paintings. Other styles include theYoung Artists and variants of the main Kamasan and Young Artists'styles.

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Balinese Art and Crafts

The Balinese are surrounded by art throughout their lives as art is omnipresent in Bali. They make art out of the most basic necessities in their daily lives. However, artistic knowledge is not commissioned only to a special intellectual class, but is open to everyone at all levels. 

Painting, sculpture, carving and music have traditionally been the province of men, while women channeled their creative energy into creating lavish offerings to the gods. In every festival, you can see spectacular pyramids of flowers, fruit, and cakes up to two meters high, constructed with such love and adoration that it could only be meant for a higher being. 

Although a religiously regarded practice, Balinese art does not serve religion solely. Bemos, jackets, menus, motorcycles, hotel doorways and other objects are decorated with sacred symbols. It is incredible to see so many people in such a small area pour so much energy into creating beautiful things.

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Jewelry in Bali

Bali is also famous for its jewelry, along with Thailand and Mexico, and variations on the same designs are common to all three countries. Balinese jewelry is almost always handmade, thus rarely involving casting techniques or the usage of imported silver. 

Silver is mined in Bali near Singaraja and used for filigree and other traditional silver work. Members of the royal family adorn themselves with gold and silver headdresses, belts, bracelets, earrings, anklets and necklaces to indicate their high status. Even handles of krises or daggers and umbrella finials would be made of gold. 

The village of Celuk is known for its rings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, and other objects of silver. Kamasan remains the center for traditional gold and silver jewelry.

Balinese are quick to pick up designs introduced by outsiders and will copy things that will sell well. Many imaginative smiths are starting to duplicate designs from magazines or international jewelry designers who have settled in Bali to work.

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Silver Handicraft

Kotagede silver handicraft is a business run from generation to generation. Its silver products have eminent characteristic of being unique, smooth, and neat. It is not superfluous that this handicraft center always becomes a favorite place to go.kotagede silver craftsmen divides silver products into four types, filigree with holed texture, engraving with its bulging surface, casting shape which is produced with molding technique, and handmade which uses hand skill to make finger ring and necklace.

Generally, silver handicraft of kotagede is divided into four kinds,jewelry such as necklace,bracelet, ring, ear ring, and miniature items like ship and temple, wall decoration and other kinds of ornament. Kotagede silver handicraft is set at various prices starting from forty thousand for brooch, one hundred thousand for jewelry like finger ring, and up to thirty million rupiah for miniature handicraft. Even, the price could be more expensive,depending on difficulties in the making process and also material type.

Meanwhile the material is categorized into two types, silver piece which so-called gilapan, and silver threads that is familiarly known as filigran. In each silver handicraft making process, craftsmen do not use pure silver, but it is combined with copper because pure silver is too flabby to be shaped into handicraft. Copper is good element to harden handicraft form.

Kotagede silver handicraft has good reputation in the eye of international world, foreign travelers have great passion in purchasing silver handicraft. On the contrary, local residents are more interested in wearing gold, since it is considered as classy jewelry.since long time ago, the domestic market is limited in bali and jakarta, which means local market only covers twenty percent of the selling point, and the rest is made by foreign travelers.

The currently unstable silver production has influenced silver handicraft price in kotagede. Furthermore, the increased price of silver has pushed silver craftsmen to raise the price.

Kotagede is not the only silver handicraft center in the world,as the city has serious competitors in thailand, vietnam, and india. Reflecting from the current situation, it is poor that silver handicraft which is claimed as the world’s heritage has declined. For that reason, the government is urged to support the development of kotagede silver handicraft.

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Silver Handicraft

Aranda’s Silver shop is at 30 Kemasan Street, Kotagede. As a lot of other silver shops in Kotagede, it has rows of jewelry on display. And they actually sell other decorative ornaments as well, like statues or miniatures of horse carriages, all made of silver.

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Sukawati Market

Bali is full of temptation for shoppers or even for those who rarely shop for gifts or souvenirs. The trick in Bali, you just have to know where to shop with the perfect price. Mostly around Legian, some around Kuta or Seminyak, you could see endless shops that offers variety of typical Balinese souvenirs, gifts, or crafts. But because of the locations are tourists areas, the prices are somehow being adjusted according to the tourists’ own currencies.

Sukawati Art Market, Gianyar, is a perfect place for those who just love to shop around or even for those who just want to see what typical Balinese souvenirs, gifts, or crafts look like. If you could haggle and know the average price, it would save you a lot of money and a lot more things than what you buy at around Legian, Kuta, or Seminyak. The trick is, dare to cut down the offered price by 90%. They would probably pout or mumbling in front of you but Sukawati Art Market is well known as the wholesale heaven for most Balinese areas so it should be that cheap; especially if you buy in bulk. The haggle starts there and it is okay.

The sight of Sukawati Art Market could be overwhelming at first. Endless motorcycles would be a typical view. Hundreds of shops would be on your left and right. Be patient and take time to take a look around before settling on one shop. There are a lot of choices the more you take time to look. From Balinese clothes ( that is quite famous for the soft fabric ), keychains, magnets, statues, leather bags, etc are endless.

But Sukawati Art Market is desperately in need of good organization and good make over with better facilities. The front appearance is too chaotic and seems too dirty. One shop owner said that Sukawati has slowed down the last few years. Foreigners seem to prefer Legian even though they know it is more expensive. Even taxis do not go around there anymore because they know that tourists do not go to Sukawati anymore. And of course the competitions made it worse. It’s a shame really. With the price range, same qualities, and same products that Sukawati Art Market has, it is now basically only left with the image of good old days and starting to be forgotten. Mostly only local tourists, shop owners, or wholesale buyers would go there these day.

If  Sukawati Art Market plan to survive many many years to come, someone has to do something about it. Get rid of the huge dumpster in front of the market. Make more space for parking. Stop making public toilets to be a thriving business but with extremely poor hygiene. Make sure the pathway for people to walk and to get to the shops free from things being sold. Good and comfortable access would make tourists and buyers willing to go from front to end of the market; hence, more transactions for the shop owners. Make sure that visitors could go somewhere to eat. Good organization of certain spots for food stalls would be good considering that visitors do have to eat ( although street food are available ).

But if you don’t mind with the challenges that Sukawati Art Market has to offer, do drop by and browse around. It’s easy on the pockets. Just make sure you have the transport to and from the place.

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