Mas Village, Gianyar: Bali's Wood Carving Heartland and the Njana Tilem Legacy

Mas Village in Ubud district, Gianyar regency, is where wood seems to learn how to breathe. Along Jl. Raya Mas — the main road linking Ubud with Sukawati — galleries, showrooms and carving workshops line up almost without a break. It is only about 6 km from central Ubud and roughly a 30-minute drive from Denpasar. The easiest landmark from the south is the Sakah Baby Statue; Mas Village stretches out just north of it.

The Legacy of Ida Bagus Nyana and Ida Bagus Tilem

Mas Village owes its fame to two masters from a single family. Ida Bagus Nyana (1912–1985) became known for rounded figures that compress the human body into pure expression, while his son Ida Bagus Tilem (1936–1993) developed an approach that lets the grain and natural flaws of the wood shape the final form. Tilem represented Indonesia at the 1964 New York World's Fair, and the family's work still sets the benchmark for Balinese carving. Everything here is cut by hand, never by machine.

Njana Tilem Museum: Confirm Before You Go

The Njana Tilem Museum stands at Jl. Raya Mas No. 162, Banjar Batanancak, about 2 km north of the family gallery, and opened to the public in January 2018 on a wide plot backed by rice fields. Its collection covers sculptures by both masters, masks, classical paintings and antiques, and photography inside the exhibition halls is generally not permitted. Important note: as of September 2026 several channels including Google Maps and Trip.com list the museum as temporarily closed with hours to be confirmed, while the official Mas Village page still shows 8am–3pm. Contact them before scheduling a visit.

Galleries and Workshops You Can Visit

• Njana Tilem Gallery, Jl. Raya Mas No. 116 — the family gallery open since 1960, usually 9am–5pm, displaying sculptures, masks and antiques inside a traditional family compound.
• Bali Mask Making (Astina Mask & Wood), run by Ida Bagus Anom Suryawan on Jl. Raya Mas, Banjar Batanancak — three generations of mask carvers who take students from around the world; a single mask can take around ten days of work.
• Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets in the Mas area — thousands of masks and puppets from across Indonesia and beyond, a fitting follow-up after touring the workshops.
• Dozens of showrooms without prominent signage line the road; many are happy to let visitors peek at the carvers working behind the shop.

Practical Info & Reservations

• Location: Jl. Raya Mas, Desa Mas, Ubud district, Gianyar regency — View on Google Maps
• Visiting: galleries and showrooms can be entered without booking; for a carving or mask-making class, contact the workshop first via balimaskmaking.com.
• Instagram: @njanatilemgallery for the family gallery, and search on Instagram for the other workshops.
• Opening hours: most galleries run 9am–5pm; arrive in the morning to catch the carvers at work before their break.
• Price range: small souvenir carvings start in the tens of thousands of rupiah, mid-range pieces run from hundreds of thousands into the millions, and master works can reach hundreds of millions. Parking is available in the yards of larger galleries; avoid stopping on the narrow, busy shoulder of Jl. Raya Mas.

Mas Village is best explored without rushing, so pick a base around Ubud or Gianyar and secure your hotel voucher in advance through AccessiaPass.