|
All About Bali Kites
Bali is famous for its handicrafts such as carvings from stone and wood, sarongs, kites, baskets with intricate paintings, crafts and art etc., which is bought by international and domestic tourists alike in abundance. A lot of the products were originally prepared for their own cultural and religious events and may have been slightly modified only to cater for the taste of the international traveler.
One of the major pastimes of the Indonesian people, but Balinese in particular is Kiting. Hours and days of work go into the kites making it a real feast for the eye when watching the creatures go up and down lining the skies of Bali. Smaller kites may be an individual or family affair, but the larger ones are definitely done by the entire community of a particular village or part thereof (Banjar) The Banjar is the all encompassing traditional village structure which arranges for weddings, lines out the ceremonies, money spending for and on behalf of an area and can even be judge of minor disagreements among villagers. Men will spend hour after hour to get their kites ready in time for the big Bali International Kite Festival always held annually of the beach in Padang Galak during the month of July, when the winds on that particular coast are strongest. The entire Banjar will turn out and last years estimate was 595 villages present. Most kites will have the company of gamalan musicians, who will turn up the volume of the drums and bells, whenever it is their turn to compete. This event will last for 4 days attracting thousands of spectators every day.
Not only is the making of the kite a village affair, but also the flying of it. The sheer size of the kites sometimes requires a minimum of 20 - 25 people to bring the kite up in the air or letting it down without crashing to earth. Some kites may have a size of 12 - 15 meters and tails have been seen and measured with lengths up to 40 - 50 meters. So it is also a rather costly affair even when considering that the labor put up was free.
Kite making and kite flying goes a long way back and it was said that the Balinese traditionally resolved disputes among villages with the winning kite winning the argument. Is was than obviously the case that they would have to down each other. All kites have carefully selected colors and logo's and are blessed in ceremonies prior to their maiden take off.
Nature Collection Bali has tried to select a representative volume of Balinese Kites as far as the existing ranges go and where ever we have an active interest for development we have opted for our own designs always bearing in mind to work with sustainable resources, a lasting quality and with the purpose to be able use the products, not merely as decoration. Each kite will and can fly as they are tested prior to packing.
All our Balinese handcrafted kites from Indonesia are made in traditional village environments, and are therefore unique pieces in it's own right. The products, which are handcrafted and finished, may vary slightly from one piece to another, but this is also the charm of owning such a unique piece of Balinese produce.
We ensure that minimum quality standards are adhered to, that production times promised are not overrun without good reason, that all goods are packed proper and according to standard and overall that customer satisfaction is achieved. In the process we keep you as our buyer always informed and abreast of new developments.
Balinese kites are also available for the high volume market and can be produced with a maximum of 500 - 1,000 pieces per month depending on model and style.
Special designs can be accepted, whereas colors can be chosen if so desired to match your club, logo etc. and are excellent gifts for promotion.
Minimum orders for Balinese Kites from Indonesia vary per item, but we would like to take in at least 25 - 50 pieces per line item / style. We look forward to you entrusting us with your next order.
| 