Barong Artisan at Puaya Hamlet

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Made Mudiarsa Passes down Barong Making Expertise

If you are traveling in Bali you are probably familiar with the Barong Dance. There are however two kinds of baring dance; barong sesuwunan (sacred barong) dance that is performed as a part of Hindu religious ceremonies on the Island of the Gods and the profane Barong Dance specifically performed to entertain travelers. Do you know where and how the barong costume is made?
Puaya hamlet, Batuan village in Sukawati, Gianyar is one of the villages that produces high quality baronsg, and has the atmosphere of a typical Balinese village with very friendly people. The village is located next to the Sukawati Market, about 30 km or 45 minutes from Ngurah Rai Airport..

Most residents of Puaya are involved in craft production and nearly every house has a sign that indicates the name of the artisan and type of craft produced there including barong, puppet and dance apparel makers. Among the barong crafters, the most famous production house is “Oklan Barong Craftsman”.
Oklan gained notoriety in many foreign countries and after his death, his expertise was carried on by his son Made Mudiasa. Despite being quite young, Made Mudiasa’s works are no less excellent that that of his father’s and he continues to make Barong in the same style as his ancestors and members of his family help in the production process. He is also skilled at creating new designs, so he is never short of customers. The place used to carve barong is located in the westernmost building of his family home.
Mudiarsa makes profane barong used in performances for entertainment or display, but he also makes sacred barong that are used in Balinese ceremonies. “The process of making a sacred barong is different that the process of making a profane one. The differences start right from the beginning such as the process of selecting the wood and run through the workmanship all the way up to the completion of the barong which is accompanied by a ceremony in the case of a sacred barong” said Mudiarsa.
The best materials for making barong are blackboard and frangipani wood. There is a special ceremony, which precedes the search for wood, especially for wood that will be used for the making of a sacred barong. Once the wood has been obtained, the artisan proceeds to carve assemble and then refine using corse sandpaper first and then finer and finer grains. “The making of a sacred barong must start on an auspicious day, so that the strength of the barong can emerge” explained Mudiarsa.
Once the barong has been formed, various ornaments are prepared including sekartaji made of cowhide. Good quality hide is first selected and then worked on adding glass ornaments and then painted with gold leaf. “We make all the finish touches and then once whoever ordered it is ready, we install the head or mask of the barong” he said.
In addition to making barong, Made Mudiarsa also makes various kinds of masks for dancers, such as the old mask, hard mask, jauk, bondres (comedian) and others. He also produces a variety of decorative clothing and apparel used for rangda mask dance, the baris dance as well as other dance knick-knacks made of leather. All these products are displayed in the showroom located in front of his house.
In the showroom or art shop are kinds of barong on display. There are barongs that have already been painted as well as those that have yet to be given color and include diverse kinds of barong such as the barong ket, barong bangkal, barong landung and barong kedengkling. Mudiarsa’s bale daja or northern pavilion is filled with finished barong that have yet to be painted.
Made Mudiarsa says he has been making barong since 2000 after his father passed away. His father, grandfather and ancestors were famous barong craftsmen, who used to make barong ket, barong bangkal and barong landung. The price of Mudiarsa’s barong is subject to change according to the times.
Currently, the price of barong ket used for entertainment, ranges from IDR 40 million to IDR 60 million, while, the price of sacred barong is IDR 250 million. If the barong is embellished with jewelry or other knickknacks made of silver or gold ornaments, the price can reach as much as  IDR 350 million. (BTN/015)www.bali-travelnews.com
balinese life and culture