Gianyar , Balinese Wood Carving

Balitraveldiary.com – Gianyar is known as an area of ​​handicraft producers with high artistic value. One of them is a traditional wood carving craft whose reputation has been spread to foreign countries. Wood carvings from Gianyar are known for their distinctive designs, neat carving details, and high-quality types of raw materials. No wonder the selling price can penetrate dozens and even tens of millions.

Wood carving from Gianyar is not a haphazard souvenir. The process of making a statue ranges from 1-4 months, through several stages. The duration of this process depends on the size of the sculpture or sculpture made, the type of wood, and the number of carved details in the sculpture or carving made. In addition, because the touch of each sculpting artist has its own peculiarities, the length of time the sculpture or sculpture of each artist varies.

For a wooden horse statue with a height of about 2 meters from wood flare (trembesi), it takes up to 3.5 months. From this time span, the work process is divided into several stages, which begin with the making of rough carving (going). The next step is making details with a knife and a small chisel. After the two stages are completed, the last stage is grinding with sandpaper.

The selling price of Gianyar wood carving crafts varies greatly, depending on who the artist is working on, the details of the carvings, and the type of material. The work of each artist has a different economic value because the uniqueness of each artist is difficult for other artists to imitate. The details of the ornaments in each carving or sculpture are very distinctive and have their own level of complexity, thus affecting the selling price. Meanwhile, the type of material will affect the value of each statue in the long run.

The most common type of wood used by artisans in Gianyar is wood flare (trembesi) originating from Java and Kalimantan. Other types of wood that are also used include meranti, waru, rosewood, ebony, and teak stems which also come from outside Bali. Local wood from Bali is crocodile wood (Zanthoxyllum rhetsa) which is white and bentawas (Wrightia pubescens R.Br) which are small in diameter but long and hard. Meanwhile, wood like Albasia is rarely used because of its soft and weathered texture which is not good as a long-term investment.