Explore three Balinese ceremonies that mark major stages in an individual’s life—Nelubulanin and Otonan (three-month and one-year ceremonies, respectively), Metatah (toothfiling ceremony), and Ngaben (cremation ceremony). Special ceremonies and rituals ensure that the subject passes successfully from one stage to the next. They include textiles, objects, and substances, as well as family and community participation. The ceremonial wrapping of people and objects in fabric mediates the invisible forces of the divine and the demonic, strengthens and protects the bodies of participants, and animates objects for ritual use.

Launch the exhibition website