Gianyar, South Bali, 19th Century
Jackfruit Wood, White Pigment
Dimensions: 45 x 21 cm
The tika, a carved wooden calendar, is one of two calendars used by the Balinese. The 210-day calendar lays out a grid of 30 seven-day weeks, each uniquely named and easily recited from memory by any farmer. In addition to these seven-day weeks, there are nine other weeks included in the tika calendar, ranging in duration from one day to 10 days. All these weeks progress at the same rate. For example, the two-day week consists of two named days, Menge and Pepet. If today is Menge, then tomorrow will be Pepet, and the following day will be Menge again.
For the subaks, the tika is important for synchronizing concurrent water use and planting cycles with ease and precision. It is also used for calculating auspicious days for religious ceremonies and agricultural activities.
Today, most Balinese use paper calendars to keep track of these different cycles of weeks. The progression of the calendar can be heard as music at the Dome installation on the top floor of the museum.