The magic of wood carvings at the Ida Bagus Marka Gallery

Objects of beauty that speak of tradition, history and technical skill, this represents the wooden statues of Bali, carved wonders of art that give life to light and complex compositions, decorated with intricate details, appreciated all over the world. The raw material comes mainly from local trees such as rosewood, cedar or frangipani, malleable and durable woods that are carved by expert hands with traditional tools and techniques handed down for generations. In Bali there are several regional styles of wood carving, each with its own distinctive characteristics. One of the largest and most comprehensive collections of wooden sculptures on the island is the Ida Bagus Marka Museum, founded in 1979 by Ida Bagus Marka, a very skilled craftsman, together with his wife Ida Ayu Chandra. The museum preserves countless artifacts of the highest executive profile from various communities of Bali's best carvers, with a collection that spans different decades and styles. From masks to Hindu and Buddhist deities, the works on display range across a vast range of subjects with mythological figures, animals, scenes of daily life, traditional dancers, and much more that captivate with their variety and uniqueness.