How a Balinese stonecarving is created

The stone is cut from the quarries in large blocks, typically weighing 10 tons. These blocks are transported to stone mills, where they are sawn to size.

Limestone blocks awaiting to be carved

The carver then carefully chips away at the stone until it resembles the outline of the particular carving he is creating.

Wayan Sulastri outlines the basic structure of the piece.

At this point the carver intricately chisels and picks away at the stone until all the minute details are visible.

Pan Brata uses a tooth chisel to bring out minute detail.

The carver uses three types of chisels to sculpt the stone: a point for roughing out the stone, tooth chisels (also called claw tools) for shaping and modeling the forms, and flat chisels for the finished surfaces and details.

Wayan Cemeng uses a flat chisel to add finishing details to this beautiful panel.

The above process can take as little as two weeks to two months to complete depending on the type of carving and stone used.

Home    FAQ    Search     Sculpture    Pottery     Lighting      Bathroom    Garden    Handicraft     Furniture

Back to Top

Product Index

e