TITLE: Topeng Bedahulu
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Indonesia
SUBREGION: Bali
ETHNICITY: Balinese
DESCRIPTION: Bedahulu (Beda Ulu) Putih Mask
CATALOG ID: ASID008
MAKER: Jero Manku Pande Made Rahaejeng (Banjar Pujung Kaja Desa Talipud, 1976- )
CEREMONY: Topeng Dance Drama
AGE: 1990
MAIN MATERIAL: pule wood
OTHER MATERIALS: paint; human hair; boar tusks; string; rubber straps; foam rubber
Some Topeng dance dramas of Bali depict folk tales having their origin in Hindu scriptures, while others are indigenous to the island. This mask belongs to the latter tradition. It depicts Bedahulu, also spelled Beda Ulu, a king with the title “Astasura Ratna Bumi Banten.” He practiced black magic until he was transformed into a wild boar demon named Babi Ngepet, then he sneaked into villages at night to rob the villagers.
For more on Balinese masks, see Judy Slattum, Masks of Bali: Spirits of an Ancient Drama (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1992).
