House of Masks and Puppets

It's been a while since I visited any museum in Bali. To be honest, as someone who frequents museums, I have not been impressed by the standard I've seen in the past. But the other day, when my sister-in-law offered to take me to Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, I decided to see if things have gotten better in the museum world here. 

The collections, over 5000 pieces from around the world, is housed in a series of traditional Javanese structures called joglo. This enterprise is headed by Mr. Hadi Sunyoto, a cultural enthusiast whose restaurant, Warung Pulau Kelapa, I've enjoyed dining in. 

I imagine, that if you're a scholar, this is a good place to do research. It reminds me of Fowler Museum in Los Angeles. 

Photographing there is a real challenge as the light is really low, but I liked the effect. It gives the place a sense of mystery. I took a liking to this particular piece:

Here are some of the wayang golek, traditional Indonesian wooden puppets, from their collection. Each one of them has very distinct character.

And of course, no collection is complete without a representation of that honorary Indonesian, President Obama. Indonesians are very proud that Mr. Obama spent part of his childhood in their country. Here he is hanging out with the likeness of Mr Hadi Sunyoto himself.

Setia Darma House is located just a few miles out of Ubud, in Banjar Tengkulak, Kemenuh village. As a lot of places don't have a proper street address with numbers, just ask your driver to head to the village, and ask the locals once you're there.