Bali: dancing for the gods

This exhibition explores the culture of Bali and in particular the way moral values and a respect for the environment are passed from one generation to the next through the stories and dance of Balinese Hinduism.

In 1961, the Horniman Museum received a gift of historic film and photographs belonging to Beryl de Zoete, who was co-author, with Walter Spies, of the classic work Dance & Drama in Bali. Their visual exploration of the performing arts of Bali provides a unique insight into the life and religion of the Balinese people in the 1930s.

In the exhibition, film and photographs from the archive provide the backdrop for a journey through the cultural heart of Bali, showing both change and continuity in the life of this jewel in the Indonesian ocean.

Highlight objects include a full gamelan orchestra, lavishly decorated with gilded carvings of flora and fauna, and a spectacular life-sized funeral bull. Dance costumes, masks, puppets, sculptures and textiles show the religious context of performance in Bali.

Photo:

Barong Costume