Sungkowo Harumbrodjo, an empu ( master bladesmith), pulls glowing slabs of what he says is meteorite sandwiched with iron from out of the heart of the fire in his workshop and lays them on an anvil. He sits on a plastic stool, and Pardi, one of his helpers, stands in a shallow trench facing him.

Without warning, Pardi lifts his hammer and lets it fall. Sparks fly everywhere, like little needles of fire.. more>>

The current heated discussion about Bali's ogoh-ogoh will never be complete without mention of industry leader I Wayan Candra.

Ogoh-ogoh, giant puppets depicting a Balinese demon called Bhuta Kala, are usually paraded in the thousands across the island on the eve of Nyepi, the last day of the Balinese calendar, when no work is done. But not on this year's Nyepi, which falls on March 26: Fear of the heated political climate as the legislative elections draw near has led to the village chiefs forbidding Balinese from making ogoh-ogoh or walking in processions...more>>

Many house carving designs are derived from plant and animal motifs..

The names of these designs are reminiscent of everyday life, and very humble, for instance, pumpkin vines. Water plants and animals such as crabs, tadpoles, water weeds, and so forth are a sign of fertility.

The trailing water plants, lusciously growing in all directions, are often depicted because they are able to multiply rapidly, while still clinging to the central stem. It is hoped that the house descendents will also be numerous and stick to the family clan.. more >>

The Batak, who live in north Sumatra, are divided into six ethnic groups. Two Bataks races, the Mandailing and the Angkola Batak, became Muslim in the middle of the 19th century, and Toba Batak were converted to Christianity in 1864 by the German Rheinisch Missionary Society.

The others kept their native religion, though there have been converts to Islam and Christianity more recently.. more >>

Craftsman Hangno is no environmentalist, though he felt concerned about environmental damage and widespread illegal logging in the country.

His small wooden handicrafts workshop uses less than three cubic meters of wood a month. But he was not able to chase away his concerned feelings until recently, when a friend told him he could use the bark from banana trees as a unique surface for his wooden crafts... more>>