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Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 8
Lesson 5: Bali- An Introduction to Bali
- Hinduism in Bali
- Storytelling in ritual and performance in Bali
- Balinese shadow theater
- Balinese dance, costumes, music
- Symbolism in Balinese dance costumes
- Balinese boar Barong dance performance
- Repairing sacred Balinese masks
- Balinese mask carver
- The Spirit of the Barong
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Balinese boar Barong dance performance
The Barong is a protective deity that can take on a variety of animal forms—lions, tigers, and boars are some of the more common images—and each one is addressed using a respectful title such as Great God or Great Lord. Many villages, especially in southern Bali, have their own Barong figure. The Barong mask is kept in a shrine within a temple and brought out for use. The Barong is one of the most prominent images seen in the performing arts of Bali. This video features the Calonarang, a dance drama intended to chase away evil and purify a village. Created by Asian Art Museum.
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One of the standard tropes of live entertainment in the west is the 2-person costume of a horse, in which the person who "portrays" the hind part is considered of lesser rank. Is this also so with a Barong Boar in Bali? The dancing is beautiful and meaningful (in contrast to 2 westerners dressed up as a horse), but the question remains, is the rear end of lesser prestige than the front?(4 votes)
Is that really a boar? Looks like a lion /boar to me.(2 votes)
I can see your point. Because of the golden Fringe it does seem to resemble a lion. But if you look at the face you'll notice that the nose is longer and the coloration is that of a boar. It has a pig shaped face and two tusks.(1 vote)