Although polytheism, the deification of princes, and the caste system were rejected, the ancient ancestor cult was not only tolerated but was actually incorporated into islamic ritual. The ban on making images of human being5 or animals was not strictly observed. Thus, for example, the wayang show continued to exist, although it is not ruled out that the extreme stylization of the figures, which bore little relation to the realities of anatomy, was due to the influence of Islam. Local traditions were taken over without difficulty and moslems even used the existing buildings, apart from a few changes necessitated by the new ritual.

Of truly breath-taking beauty are the masked dances formerly per- Masked dances formed by the Bataks for those who died without leaving male descendants. Tile masks worn for such dances are amongst the most magnificent to have beer made by men fur a magic purpose. It is remarkable how human and moving in their immediacy these masks are, especially if one merely observes the face.

An absolutely different approach is reflected in the masks of tile Dayaks. Any naturalistic resemblance is dispensed with, the mouth. protrudes like a snout, showing four lanlary teeth, and the demonic character is unmistakable. The linear decoration is similar in style to the ornamentation common amongst the Dayaks. A human aspect is retained only in the car-pendants: the Dayaks, too, wear heavy ear pendants, often resulting in distended lobes.

Please access this web site for more Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and all Indonesia Hotels bali-lombok-yogyakarta-jakarta-hotels.com - and Indonesian Holidays Information, hotels and travel reservation indonesia-hotels-travel-holidays.com