Bali has a Hindu caste system that is very similar to Indian. The highest caste is the Bramahnen, the priests. Below are the nobles. Today these are the surviving members of the former royal families of Bali. They are called Ksatriyas. The most respected caste are the Vesiya, the warrior caste.

The lowest caste is the Sudra, which is about 95% of the Balinese population. The members of the higher castes have special titles such as Gusti (descendant of the warrior caste), Ida Ayu or Ida Bagus (wife or man from a Bramahnen family) or Anak Agung (member of a noble family), etc.

The Balinese carving was originally, as well as the painting, purely traditional character, and served the decorating of temples and palaces, instruments and doorways as well as the production of wonderful masks for dramatic performances.

Mass production in some cases has inevitable effects on quality. However, the growing demand also created a whole new set of objects invented by talented artists.