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It all started with a dream trip to Bali.  On our first trip we brought back souvenirs for friends, family and co-workers. With each subsequent trip our friends, family and co-workers were giving us shopping lists. This is when BaliBoutiqueOnLine came into fruition. 

Now our mission is to spread happiness and to help nurture the elements of mind, body, and spirit. We believe in fair prices, sustainable products and most importantly fair trade. We work with experienced artisans who are masters in their field and women collectives in small villages that work together to help support one another. Each piece is one of a kind, any variations are organic and natural which makes it an original. 

Our Balinese sterling silver earrings, bracelets, pendants and gemstones are of the absolute best quality available. Our jewelry is actually created by master silversmiths and not factory made. Browse our inspirational jewelry, Buddha charms and pendants, Shiva pendant necklaces, beaded jewelry and so much more. We have a wide selection that will spotlight your individual style and creativity. 


Balinese Wood Carving History

Balinese art is art of Hindu-Javanese origin that grew from the work of artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, with their expansion to Bali in the late 13th century. From the sixteenth until the twentieth centuries, the village of Kamasan, Klungkung (East Bali), was the centre of classical Balinese art. During the first part of the twentieth century, new varieties of Balinese art developed. Since the late twentieth century, Ubud and its neighboring villages established a reputation as the center of Balinese art. Ubud and Batuan are known for their paintings, Mas for their woodcarvings, Celuk for gold and silver smiths, and Batubulan for their stone carvings. Covarrubias describes Balinese art as, "... a highly developed, although informal Baroque folk art that combines the peasant liveliness with the refinement of classicism of Hinduistic Java, but free of the conservative prejudice and with a new vitality fired by the exuberance of the demonic spirit of the tropical primitive". Eiseman correctly pointed out that Balinese art is actually carved, painted, woven, and prepared into objects intended for everyday use rather than as object d 'art’.

Materials and tools

A number of woods are used in Bali wood carving including Teak, Jackfruit, and Baliwood. It is difficult to find old growth on Bali today, though, so large stock is imported from Java. Only the smallest pieces are carved by one person; most are produced by several people at the same time, sitting next to each other, each concentrating on their own section. The warm, humid climate is perfect for carving since it allows the wood to dry slowly as it is being worked. Every part of the tree is utilized, even the roots. When the carving and sanding have been completed, it is left as is, or multiple layers of colorful paint or lacquer are applied by specialists.

Local blacksmiths forge Balinese chisels and the ends are strong enough to be pounded with a locally produced wooden mallet to remove large chunks of wood. They can also be held like a pencil to carve fine details.

Local traditions

Most people are accustomed to work close to the ground in Bali. So instead of carving while standing next to a piece that is clamped in a vice on a workbench, artisans sit on the floor or a low bench and use their feet to grip small pieces while carving. Large pieces are laid on the floor or rest against the wall while they are worked - their weight keeping them steady. There are no electric carving or finishing tools in the studios, just chisels, mallets, and sandpaper. Men carve and women usually do the sanding.

 


Artist Profile - Ida Bagus Tilem

Ida Bagus Tilem from Mas Ubud, is the son of Nyana, furthered Nyana and Tjokot's innovations both in his working of the wood and in his choice of themes. Unlike the sculptors from the previous generation, he was daring enough to alter the proportions of the characters depicted in his carving. He allowed the natural deformations in the wood to guide the form of his carving, using gnarled logs well suited for representing twisted human bodies. He saw each deformed log or branch as a medium for expressing human feelings. Instead of depicting myths or scenes of daily life, Tilem took up “abstract” themes with philosophical or psychological content: using distorted pieces of wood that are endowed with strong expressive powers.

 

Ida Bagus Tilem

Ida Bagus Tilem