If you are interested in wood carving, come to Bali! There is a woodcarving center located in the Mas villages, Bali, Indonesia. Wood carving craft exceptional here; this is where the engraver, and wood sculptor ability adept into one. They are capable of processing wood in such a way with a very detailed and thorough manual, to be an outstanding work. This uniqueness is what makes Mas Village become visited by domestic and foreign tourists.
The Mas Village name history is a gift from Dang Hyang Nirartha, a Brahmin from Majapahit who moved to the Gods island after Majapahit on Java collapsed. He jumped at the invitation of Mas Wilis to a place that later is now called the Mas village. Mas Wilis was an Arya Majapahit who defeated the Bedaulu kingdom under the king Sri Tapalung or Sri Gajah Waktra leadership.
During his stay in Mas Village, Brahman gave many lessons ranging from religion, arts, culture, social, and others to Mas Wilis. Then the Brahmins gave the title “Pangeran Manik Mas.” To honor Brahmins services, and Mas Wilis high self-adhesive stick (tree tangi) in Taman Pule Mas to commemorate the incident. After that, Dang Hyang Nirartha married the daughter of Mas Wilis named Ayu Kayuan (Mas Gumitir) and had a child, Brahman Mas, who lived in Mas Village until now.
An extraordinary skill passed down from ancestors as part of the tradition. Since childhood, they have been trained to carve, to polish their work to be very interesting and have high selling points. Carving is not only done by men, but also housewives as daily work.
Nowadays you can see many art shops sell wood carving along Mas street. It is ranging from wooden masks, wooden sculptures of small to large-sized sculptures. The statues also have prices that vary depending on the type of wood, size, and level of detail that is owned.