Description

This is a Ranga mask from Bali in Indonesia. The Rangda mask is traditionally carved from the pule (Alstonia) tree and uses bristles and plumes of horsehair and wool, and a long tongue, cut from leather and lined with a cepuk textile, a powerful protective cloth. The spirit of Rangda is considered the demon queen of Bali, the personification of evil and is the enemy of Barong who is the personification of good  Barong is both the name of a holy spirit and the dance in which the battle between Barong and Rangda is acted out with masks. The Barong dance is meant to show the battle between the forces of good and evil and the triumph of good over evil. The dance and the masks have become an important cultural attraction for tourists to Bali.