Barong Ket




**The
most important and most common barong is a supernatural creature,
sometimes described as a combination of lion and tiger. He has the
innocence and playful nature of a puppy, yet fights menacingly, snapping
his great, wooden teeth. As a representative of white magic, he can
conquer, but not kill. The Barong Ket belongs to the family of demons,
as evidence by his bbbbuilging eyes, red complexion, and enlarged teeth.
The zenith of his sorcery is evidenced in his sacred beard, which
becomes holy if dipped in spring water. The bair of his great, shaggy
body is made of
praksok (the fiber of pandamas leaves
), or ijuk (black
palm fiber), or occasionally heron feathers, horsehair, or crow
feathers,. Peacock feather, considered extremely powerful, may be used
for trim. The face is framed by a large, elaboratery tooled leather
crown, called
sekar taji, which is decorated and painted gold.
It extends to a large rounded apparatus on the shoulders. Mirrors also
embellish the leather work. Leather is used for a beautiffuly bowed
tail, which trails a cluster of peacock feathers, several tiny bells
that punctuate the performers's movements, and a small mirror. The mask
is somewhat dwarfed by the size and opulence of the costume, the outer
layer of which is connected to a wide-mesh rattan frame.