Ubud Traditional Art Market: Top 10 Picks
On my recent trip to Bali, stopping by Ubud Art Market was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. While Ubud lies peacefully between the Gianyar regency’s steep gorges and rice terraces, the frantic passageways of its art market bring a still life to life. This hippie one-stop shop for Balinese products is hard to leave since it charms you with a lot of traditional handicrafts made in nearby towns. This street market allows Balinese locals to sell handcrafted items such as colourful Batik shirts, round jute bags, and an assortment of silver jewellery. In most shops, you may grin and bargain for a better price because the locals expect you to haggle. But first, take a look at these ten fantastic products that you must get when visiting the Ubud traditional art market.
Table of Contents
Batik Shirts or Dresses
In Bali, batik is one of the oldest kinds of wax painting. Balinese people use dotted and lined patterns to create amazing patterns on various types of cloth, which are then stitched together to create gorgeous shirts and outfits. The Ubud art market is home to some of the most unusual Batik print patterns.
Silver Jewellery
When it comes to pure silver, there is no better place than Bali. It’s also a great value for the money. Not only that, but the Balinese have mastered the art of working with silver, and their creations are works of art in and of themselves. Whether it’s earrings, rings, or other accessories, Balinese silver jewellery is a cut above the rest of the world’s silver jewellery.
Jute Sling Bags
The braided jute sling bags with a crossbody strap are currently trending all over the world. No one, however, can quite match the quality of the Balinese production. It is only in Bali that beautiful jute bags are enriched with a splash of colour that you will not find anywhere else. With a rainbow of colours ranging from pink to beige to white to yellow, it’s difficult to pick just one sling bag to carry around with you. I’d advise you to take your time and make your decision, or to get everything. Because you’ll never run out of opportunities to show off your fashionable keisters.
Musical Instruments
One of the greatest venues in Bali to get your hands on some amazing musical instruments is the Ubud art market. My first recollection of the market is of standing and watching a native perform some incredible guitar music. It was the first shop at the market’s entry, and his talent was priceless, even if he owned a shop full of musical instruments. Brightly coloured guitars, sand drums, and diatonic tongue drums are available for purchase in the Ubud art market.
A Balinese Surfboard
Ubud art market is home to a number of businesses where you can get a fantastic Balinese surfboard as well as decorated tiny surfboards in a variety of styles.
Dream Catchers
Wherever you go in Bali, you’ll see huge, feathery dream catchers. The Ubud art market, on the other hand, is where you’ll find some of the most incredible designs. A dream catcher is a woven wall hanging that looks like a spider web inside a willow hoop, and it comes from the Ojibwe culture. A version of an eye-shaped dream catcher may be found at the art market, which appears to be based on the Egyptian evil eye notion.
This sacred, handcrafted talisman is further adorned with feathers, and the charm is asserted to fend off evil spirits and dreams as a whole. Allow good dreams to gently slip through the feathers for a nice and restful night’s sleep by hanging this dream catcher above your bed for protection.
Skulls and Buddha Head
When you put a human skull next to a Buddha’s head, you get a jarring but interesting contrast. A Skull and a Buddha Head are sold together in the form of artwork at the Ubud Art Market. Speak to a local and you’ll find that skulls and Buddhas in both Hinduism and Buddhism represent something other than death. In Hinduism, Shiva’s incarnation Nataraja, for example, danced around wearing a necklace of skulls, symbolising his ability to defeat death. Skulls are used in Buddhism to symbolise the concept of emptiness. A phenomenon with no intrinsic nature, implying that all events are meaningless until we assign meaning to them. A Buddha Head, on the other hand, represents consciousness, compassion, philosophy, and meditation.
Balinese Paintings
The Ubud Art Market provides a large selection of framed artworks for sale. Paintings of Buddha, Frangipani blossoms, farming in the countryside, birds, Balinese dance performances, Balinese Gods, and much more are among them.
Fedora or Summer Hats
Ubud Art Market is also a wonderful place to shop for hats, whether Fedoras or the more traditional straw-woven hats in a variety of shapes and sizes. The hats are moderately priced and depending on your haggling skills, you can get one for $2 to $5.
Other Balinese Souvenirs
You’ll find a broad range of local items in Ubud’s traditional market, which is known for its beautiful handicrafts. Handmade accessories, Balinese masks, ceramic plates, wind chimes, bottle openers, incense, candles, baskets, and much more are all on the list.
The Ubud traditional art market is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
