Location
Desa Batubulan is only 2 km from the border if east Denpasar city, or 20
km from Kuta, 35 km from Nusa Dua, and 15 km from Sanur. Desa Batubulan
is bordering with famous artist's colonies of Desa Celuk and Desa Singapadu.
Batubulan is belong to the administrative area of Kecamatan Sukawati, Kabupaten
Gianyar. In 1980s Batubulan was only a small villages with some artists
carving the stone to creat sculpture of various shape of god and goddesses,
and today the village has become a small town with bustling business center
of stone carving.
Interest of Desa Batubulan
Today Batubulan is a small town with interest of Stone carving and Dances
such as Barong and Kecak Dance. These two tourism interest are the main
mark of the town which are also the highlight of Bali as tourism destination.
Barong Kris and Kecak Dance
The interest of Desa Batubulan is not only on it's stone carving, but also
the entertainment of Barong and Kris Dance, and Kecak dance. These dances
are presented in a regular schedule
every day. Each stage can accommodate more then 600 people in the form of
Balinese traditional big pavilion called Bale Banjar. the stage is constructed
with seat in steps both at only one side, two sides of even 4 sides so it
forms a low spot in the middle as the stage of the dancers. This association is called ASPRANANTA
meaning the association of performance and dances. They agree to set practice
for certain aspects of the art which regulate their relation with other
association or companies relating to the tarrif, schedule, certification
and others. Dance or performance under the association of ASPRANANTA have
agreed to issue common tarrif decided to be followed by all their member,
that the ticket per person is Rp 50.000 with certain discount to their company
clients. If one come directly to buy the ticket she/he will get above price
without discount.
Stone Carving
Actually the interest of foreign importer to ship the stone carving has been so big.
The main problem is packaging, since the stone carving is so fragile. This
condition causing the cost of packaging is very expensive, and until now
there is no cheap technology for this. So foreign people only buy this carving
in very small number or special order. It has been very hard to ship in
big volume without a big risk also. With this nature stone carving is not
develop as fast as wood carving. Although the growing use of concrete to
create a scupture which resulting more stronger or resistancy against turbulence,
due to it's excessive weight also can not develope into mass production
due to the expensive cost of shipping. With only small volume of sales,
yet big number of buyers it has been the main trigger of economy for local
people as well as the people of Magelang in central Java. The stone carving
imitating the sculpture of Borobudur or Prambanan was well developed in
Magelang, and as big supplier for Batubulan. From Magelang especially the
head of Budha, or busts or even complete sitting position of Budha are of
most popular stone carving ordered by stone art galleris in Batubulan to
be exhibited together with their Bali production.
Type of Stone Carving Produced
As mentioned above most of the figures carved in stone are the figures found
in myth, epic of Ramayana, Mahabharata and others. The influence of Budhist
Tantrayana is also very strong, so one can see various sculpture with frightening
faces. From Magelang, Central Java mostly the head of Budha, from small
around 15 cm size to half meter size. It seems that for the artists stone
material is less flexible compared to the material such as wood, so in term
of design it is not develope as fast as sculpture made of wood.
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