Bali Museum is located in Denpasar’s center and is easy to find because of the location in the heart of Denpasar. On the north side there is Jagatnatha’s glorious temple, while in front of it there is the Puputan Badung (Badung Courtyard) and the statue of four faces (Catur Muka Statue).
The development of the Bali Museum is started by the existence of initiatives for the vital preservation and conservation of the heritage of Balinese culture. The initiative is based on the existence of a feeling of concern, that there is a symptom of a kind of erosion of culture, so that the cultural heritage becomes totally disappeared, loses, which only omits photographs and documentation.
Bali Museum preserves the Balinese cultural heritage and a museum that later becomes the museum Bali emerges as a founding plan:
- The early planning of the founding of Bali Museum was governmental functionary of Dutch, Bali King, Society Prominent, all artists such as: WFJ Kroon (assistant of the Dutch resident), Curt Grundler (architect of Germany), I Gusti Alit Ngurah (Bestuurder Penegara Badung), I Gusti Bagus Jelantik (King of Karangasem), I Gusti Ketut Djelantik (King of Buleleng), King of Tabanan, and all artists such as I Gusti Ketut Kandel, and I Gusti Ketut Rai. The planning took place in 1910 with the elementary concept of the Bali Museum building structure, which was the solidarity of the structure between the building of the temple (Sanctum) and the Palace (Keraton).
- After agreeing on the concept of the structure of the museum building, a mains building was founded which was completed in 1925. Because of the ancient collection of objects that had been collected is not yet adequate and then for 7 years (1925-1932), the building of the hands was functioning for the purpose of the exhibition. All meritorious experts in checking object taken as collection of Bali Museum for example: DR.W.F. Stutterheim, G.I. Graider, G.M. Hendrikss, DR.R. Goris, and artist of Walter Spies.
- In the beginning, the Bali Museum is managed by an institution called the Bali Museum Institution, which was officially opened on 8 December 1932 under the name of the Bali Museum.
- Since January 5, 1966, the management of the Bali Museum institution has been returned to Indonesia’s government.
The collections of objects kept in the Bali Museum can be classified as the collection of prehistoric objects such as: the Grave Petrify (sarkopag), the collection of objects from the era of history such as: stupika clay with superstitious formula Ye Te, bronze statues (Hindu and Budha statues) and the collection of ethnographic objects such as Keris, Endek Cloth and religious ceremonial equipment (Sangku, Cecepan and Sidakarya mask).
In its growth, the Bali Museum has now been generally opened and has become Denpasar Town’s tourist destination, and it is a prefect place to visit in Bali on Denpasar City Tour in particular.
