The late Gail George, a well-traveled adventurer with a passion for Balinese dance and culture, knew well the spiritual power of the masks from her collection that were installed outside the World Music Studio at Taylor Music Center on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008.
So, she would have approved of the deferential treatment afforded to one in particular.
Cululuk, a trickster witch found in a number of Balinese tales, is thought to bring bad tidings to those who displease her, said Prof. Jennifer Matsue, who led the dedication ceremony. “She was not happy in the case with the other masks, so she’ll go into the World Music Studio until we can provide a case of her own.”
The collection of sacred masks was donated by Carl George, professor emeritus of biology whose wife, Gail, was a frequent organizer of dance and theater events on campus and in the region. She died Feb. 12, 2008 after a battle with cancer.
“We all wear masks, don’t we?” Prof. George said at the ceremony. “Masks are part of our humanness.” The masks will play an important part in the global education of Union students for years to come, he said.
The audience included a number of Gail’s friends, dressed in colorful sarongs, many of whom accompanied her on a trip to Bali.
“These masks were used in many kinds of dances and have great spiritual value,” Matsue said. “There is a belief that some of the Balinese dances are touched by the gods, and some of the masks hold powerful magic.” All of the pieces were produced by master mask makers and blessed by Balinese Hindu priests, she said.