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Mas
means gold but its woodcarving, particularly mask carving, which
is the craft here.The great Majapahit priest Nirartha once lived
here and Pura Taman Pule is said to be built on the site of his
home. During the three - day Kuningan festival, a Wayang Wong performance
( an older version of the Ramayana ballet ) is put on in the temple's
courtyard.
The road through Mas is almost solidly lined with craft shops which
do most business by the tour bus - load, but there are plenty of
smaller carving operations in the lanes off the busy main road.
Many of these places produce carving in bulk, which are then sold
to the numerous craft shops. The bigger and more successful outlets
are often lavishly decorated with fine woodcarvings. The renowned
artist Ida Bagus Tilem, Whose father was also anoted woodcarver,
has a particularly fine gallery.
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