주소: Jalan Tegal Bingin, Mas, Ubud, Kemenuh, Gianyar
From the audacious dreams of a Balinese businessman, a space from which to fly off on the wings of fantasy - it’s the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, created 14 years ago by collector Hadi Sunyoto in order to preserve traditions at risk of being lost for the benefit of all. Spread throughout tiny wooden buildings known as “joglo”, the museum is immersed in a typical Indonesian village just outside of Ubud, where rice paddies trace the landscape. The museum holds 1700 masks and 5700 marionettes from all over Indonesia but also China, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia - ritual and religious objects but, above all, protagonists of the rich theatrical traditions that are common to all the regions of the area. To complete the collection, Sunyoto added pieces gathered from across the globe - thus, right next to the characters of Indonesian shadow theatre, we find masks and puppets from Africa and Japan, Venice and Papua Nuova Guinea. However, Setia Darma isn’t merely a museum - it’s spacious open-air amphitheatre can hold up to 500 spectators, desirous to enjoy some enchanting puppet theatre on its stage.
The purity of the offering to the gods in the Rejang Dance
Only very young dancers, a symbol of purity and sacredness, can perform the Rejang Dance in the internal area of the temple as an offering to the Gods.
Natural pigments & dyes in Balinese traditional crafts
Colors play a vital role in Balinese culture and identity: they are symbolic and their origins are sacred. Traditional Balinese arts and crafts arise from the interconnection between man, the forces of nature and the cosmos, resulting in a divine unity.
Man and nature in perfect balance: the subak system
The fertile soil and the particularly humid climate have made Bali one of the most suitable places for rice production. But what makes Balinese rice unique is the way it is grown: steep terraces fed by an irrigation system devised in the 9th century and known as subak.