ABSTRACT
In this chapter I explore the biography of one of Bali's most famous mask makers, I Dewa Putu Kebes who carved Topeng masks for the island's rulers and best dancers. Kebes's life story is one that bridges temporal and spatial domains as the Batuan craftsman made acquaintances across Bali's old royal houses and engaged with the politics of Dutch colonialism, the Japanese occupation and Indonesian bureaucrats. Weaving these diverse threads of history and culture together were Kebes's beautiful Topeng masks—material manifestations of his personhood and of the cultural relationships he forged, crisscrossed and celebrated.
