The Arts of Bali

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STONE CARVING

Although stone carvings were mainly used to decorate temples and palaces, the carvers had much more leeway in their use of subject matter than the artists and illustrators. There is little difference between the iconography decorating temples and that of private buildings. Gateways represent the dividing line between the inner and outer worlds and as such are the recipients of some of the most fantastic carvings. As well as portraying deities and demons, the carvers included many scenes from public life and there are many temple surfaces enriched with the antics of the Dutch Colonialists including scenes of bicycles, drunken parties, car break-downs and even aeroplanes. Bali's modern-day center of stonecarving is the village of Batubulan, situated half-way between Denpasar and Gianyar.

Although you can see excellent examples of Balinese stone carving all over the island, the temples in the North tend to be much more unrestrained (with the exception of Pura Puseh in Batubulan). If you are planning on visiting Northern Bali it is well worth taking the time to visit Pura Meduwe Karang in Kubutambahan, Pura Dalem in Jagaraga and Pura Beji near Singaraja. In order to see the work of Bali's most famous stonecarver and accomplished artist, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, visit Pura Sagen Agung in Ubud.

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