Masks of Bali: Spirits of an Ancient Drama

by Judy Slattum, Paul Schraub, Hildred Geertz (Preface)

A lovely book showcasing 50-some extraordinary masks, shown in full-page photos, with interpretive commentary on each mask's character and role on facing pages. This glorious gallery alone could have made a book, but here it is enhanced with text on the four kinds of dramas in which the masks are used, a description of the mask-carving process, and a preface by Princeton anthropologist Hilda Geertz on how the masks function as a part of village life. Photographs are by Paul Schraub. A museum show on Balinese masks, curated by the author, is reported to be touring the US. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Art

132 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat better than a coffee-table book -- although quite nice for that -- the text is pretty good and the photos are lovely. Masks are organized by the play-cycles in which they are danced, with notes on the story, performance, and masks.

[Vivienne Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masked drama performances have been an important ritual on Bali for over a thousand years. Slattum presents a gallery of fifty significant, visually stunning masks photographed at both private collections and in Balinese museums. Explanatory text accessible to Westerners delves into the artistry involved in creating these intricate pieces, their symbolic and cultural significance, and the elevated role they assume in village ceremonial life. These magical, totemic masks have come to represent Bali to many visitors, who are spellbound by their exotic, gargoyle-like demeanor and their entertaining presence in evening dance spectacles (and in every art and craft shop window all around the island).
Masks of Bali opens up the heretofore hidden world of the various genres of traditional Balinese dramas with information on the characters, costumes, scenery, music, language, and ancient plots of the complex, carefully wrought performances. Comprehensive chapters on “The Living Masks of Bali,” “Topeng,” “Wayang Wong,” “Calonarang,” “Barong,” and “The Art of Mask Carving,” illustrate the diversity (the Barong, for example, comes in many shapes and designs).and range of masks used for each theatre piece. To the Balinese, these precious carvings simultaneously inhabit the divine, demonic, and dramatic realms: as religious vehicles, they harness and house invisible spiritual forces and invite them to descend from heaven to earth. The masks spring to life and unfold their special meaning one by one: the Calonarang drama is traditionally performed as a communal exorcism after an outbreak of disease or disharmony in the village. Masks representing the evil witch-queen Rangda are paraded through the village and brought to temple ceremonies: when the mask wearers become possessed and go into trance, this is proof that the divine powers have indeed arrived on earth. In the Wayong Wong, human performers take on the roles played by the shadow puppets of the Wayang Kulit. They faithfully re-enact the legendary stories of the Ramayana—engaging once again the eternal, balanced battle between good and evil. These rare ceremonial dances—presented as an offering to the gods—occur during “odalan,” the anniversary celebration of the temple where the sacred masks are permanently stored.
Slattum unlocks the cultural mystery of Topeng and Barong masks for the curious, fascinated tourist: rooted in age-old animism, the universally beloved Barong functions as a protective guardian spirit for Balinese villages. The Barong character patrols the borders of the village to sniff out and repel demons at specific, auspicious times in high-spirited processions. The Topeng dance drama draws on myths and chronicles of early Balinese and Javanese clans and kingdoms. The dancers make sacrificial offerings to the spirits of the masks, which represent archetypal characters and invoke the symbolic genealogical presence of ancestral deities. As with other ritual diversions on Bali, the Topeng is a social tool to communicate history, philosophy, morality—and even government messages. Masks of Bali is the perfect souvenir postscript to a Balinese vacation: it also has great appeal to specialized art, acting, and theatre students and enthusiasts worldwide.