I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Jimbaran
An ongoing exhibition at Jenggala Bali’s captivating compound in Jimbaran is giving the island’s arts connoisseurs the opportunity to admire ancient masks and rare textiles from various cultures across the archipelago.
Bali’s leading contemporary dancer, I Nyoman Sura, gave an intense performance in front of around 180 guests during the opening ceremony of the month-long exhibit on Aug. 14.
“The exhibit is part of our continuing efforts to preserve and promote the rich cultural legacy of our nation,” Jenggala’s marketing communications manager, Keke Hidayat, said.
The exhibit features 60 ancient masks from various regions in Indonesia, including Java, Bali and Kalimantan. The displayed masks are part of the collections of Jimbaran’s Gallery Tiempo and Mas’ Rumah Topeng dan Wayang Kubu Bingin.
The latter is a private, non-profit institution committed to the preservation of Indonesia’s topeng (masks) and wayang (puppet). It currently has a collection of more than 500 masks and more than 2,000 puppets.
“We appreciate the initiative from Jenggala to organize this exhibit. We have always embraced efforts to introduce Indonesia’s mask and puppet heritage to a wider audience,” Kubu Bingin’s curator, Prayitno, said.
The ancient masks were carved by selected craftsmen and made from wood of carefully chosen trees, often trees that were thought to have supernatural or healing properties. These masks play an important role in the performing arts and religious belief systems of the regions they originate from.
“Some of these masks form a vital element in indigenous rituals, including the ritual of fertility or the ritual held to ward off evil spirits. Some of the masks were also used in shamanic healing rituals,” Prayitno said.
Keke said the exhibit only presented a small collection. Yet, she hoped it would inspire people to appreciate the special nature of Indonesia’s mask tradition and craftsmanship.
“The masks are valued between Rp 5 million and Rp 16 million. However, not all masks are for sale … those masks hanging on the wall are only meant to be admired,” she pointed out.
In this exhibition, Jenggala also displays some of Southeast Asia’s most powerful and intricate textiles — all made in Indonesia. The textiles, woven only by women, were intended for daily wear, ceremonies, marriage dowries, and for burial and cremation rituals.
There are a vast variety of Indonesian textiles on display in the exhibit, including a selection from Nusa Tenggara — Flores, Timor and the very small islands of Savu, Alor, Kisar, Adonara and Tanimbar. Their prices range from Rp 5 million to Rp 18 million.
Based in Bali, an island renowned for its creative artwork, Jenggala Bali is a leading producer of high-quality, handcrafted ceramics. Jenggala Bali’s workshop draws on the talents of 190 Balinese craftspeople and is inspired by the wealth and diversity of Indonesian culture.
Masks and Textile Exhibition
Aug. 14 - Sept. 19
Jenggala Bali
Jl. Uluwatu II, Jimbaran
Tel. : 62 (361) 703311
Source: The Jakarta Post
September 5th, 2008
Retno K. Djojo, Contributor, Bedugul, Bali
Researchers at the Eka Karsa botanical garden in Bedugul, Bali, are running a race against time to save an endemic plant from extinction.
The plant, a fern locally known as pakis ata (Lygodium circinnatum), previously had limited economic value. But large areas across Bali have become increasingly depleted of this fern species ever since it caught the attention of handicraft makers.
A spokesperson for the botanical garden said that the Tabanan, Negara and Karang Asem regencies, which previously had large areas covered with the fern, were now almost devoid of the plant due to excessive exploitation.
Pakis ata, which grows well in Bali’s dry mountainous areas, was once only popular among members of the Bali Aga clan who used the plant’s root base to make traditional warfare shields.
Several years ago, however, creative handicraft producers came up with the idea of using the tenacious plant to make baskets, handbags, place mats, lamp shades, fruit bowls and a host of other attractive items.
More durable and flexible than other plant varieties, the fern can be easily woven into attractive shapes and is a good substitute for processed rattan.
Researchers alarmed by the new trend in the souvenir business responded by opening a nursery at the Eka Karsa botanical garden to cultivate the endangered fern.
A nursery spokesperson said the plants would be distributed across Bali for cultivation. Proper methods to harvest the vines, the spokesperson added, would be extended to farmers who join the Pakis Ata conservation program, which aims to prevent the extinction of the plant.
The Eka Karsa botanical garden, covering an area of 157.5 hectares, is located at an altitude of 1400 meters above sea level and houses an extensive collection of plants and trees.
Established in 1959, the garden is dedicated to the conservation of plants endemic to dry mountainous areas in the eastern parts of the country.
Visitors to the garden can enjoy its tranquil and scenic green panorama while taking in the fresh mountain air.
The garden’s impressive Bali-statue gate, adorned with ornate decorations, opens up to a wide vista of green rolling hills dotted by colorful flower beds.
Public and school holidays see a peak in the number of visitors to the garden. With 182 employees, including some 20 researchers, the garden’s upkeep and research work demands an annual budget of Rp 2.3 billion.
Its collection of rare plants include a great variety of species with medicinal properties, such as the purnajiwa plant (Euchrest horsfieldii). The fruits of this plant can be used to cure tuberculosis and migraines. Another interesting plant, the Ginkgo biloba Linn, is capable of enhancing memory.
In support of the community’s need for certain plants for religious ceremonies, the garden’s collection includes several Majegau trees. The leaves of this rare tree, which has become the garden’s signature plant, is often used as a substitute for incense.
The garden’s extensive collection of orchids includes a rare beauty — the Bulbophyllum lobii echinolobium — that originates from the dry mountainous areas of Sulawesi. The flower, in shades of brown and yellow, is carefully guarded to protect it from commercial use.
The garden’s new cross-breed of the Begonia, dubbed the Begonia Tuti Siregar, has been submitted to an international agency for plant patency in the U.S.
Plant growers will be able to reap financial benefits if the new species — a cross-breed between the Begonia Listada and Begonia Acetosan — is acknowledged by the agency for its uniqueness.
Furthermore, Tuti Siregar, a researcher at the botanical garden, would become the first Indonesian botanist to receive international acclaim for her work.
Source: The Jakarta Post
September 5th, 2008