Introduction

This introductory chapter proposes a new way by which we can approach the study of Balinese masked theatre (Topeng) through focusing on the entangled experiential networks and circulatory processes that the art form forges. These experiences span space and time and often involve the production of indigenous histories and biographical relationships between named people, places and things. Balinese reflections on Topeng are mediated by names and the circulations of knowledge that engulf them. By moving the discussion of Topeng away from long-standing and overt concerns with the genre's dramaturgical, material and ritual functions, the chapter paints a more nuanced and complex picture of the ancient art form that resists attempts at essentialism.