Butterflies of Bali by Victor Mason

by Jill Gocher

"As I was swaggering along
The dusty main and high
My progress was arrested
By an inconspicuous fly.

Methought it was a matelot,
An AB or Jack tar:
I looked again, and saw it was
An incandescent star.

And as I scried it closely,
Midst all that hue and press,
Incredibly I recognized
An Admirable no less!"

Finally, after days of waiting, this big beautiful red boxed book of butterflies arrived on my desk – just in time to squeeze in a review for our November edition.

Published by Saritaksu in Bali, the book is a classic butterfly text and also a work of art. Handpainted butterfly pix printed on heavy paper accompany an erudite not to mention whimisical, text written by Victor Mason. Possibly better known for his bird books, or at least bird walks, Victor's book of butterflies is an authoritive study of Bali's little known butterfly population.

He describes how the idea for the book came about one day when walking along near the Ubud Post Office, he caught a "whirling glimpse" of an unknown species. The same butterfly caught his attention three times in the next week or two and led him on a trail of reflection. Together with his apprentice bird guide Pink, who amazingly, also saw this rare species in the same week, they decided to make a book. Illustrations are all done by Pink – charming handpainted renderings of many species.

As well as a comprehensive list of Bali's butterflies, together with their scientific names, the book contains snippets of information, family histories, butterfly stories, as well as Bali folk lore, making it a good read, even for non butterfly afficionadoes.

One of his more charming cronicles concerning the King of Ubud reads as such – "Stumbling through the paddies one day in quest of some fleeting quarry, oblivious of all else, I practically collided with a rather portly gentleman, clad in Balinese-style cap and sarung. He observed more courteously, and in rather good English, that he was not in the least put out, and, moreover, delighted to see someone catching butterflies, since he had been a collector in his youth. It turned out that he was the Tjokorda Agung Gede Sukawati, King of Ubud, and we became firm friends. He told me that, before the War, he was wont to accompany the artist, Walter Spies, in the field, chasing all manner of flying insects, which Spies would then proceed to sketch and paint in meticulous detail. Apparently the whole portfolio of insect portraits thus assembled was lost with the artist, when he perished so tragically at sea in 1942."

One night I was with a Japanese friend in Naughty Nuri's in Ubud – a favourite hangout of Victor's. I showed her the book and she fell in love with it instantly, exclaiming "Oh I must buy one for my Japanese friend – he collects butterflies!" So after getting it signed by the man himself, she took off with it back to Singapore ready to present to her lucky friend.

The book is not cheap – it sells at around R800,000 -but it is a small price to pay for a classic. In fact, Victor and Saritaksu have plans to bring out a cheaper version in the near future. It will come sans art paper and the hard bound box – but it is sure to be beautiful, though perhaps not as beautiful as the original. Try to snap one up before they disappear from the shelves. It will grace any coffee table.

Victor concludes he book with a list of thank yous and the last line – "and thanks to all concerned for fulfilling my wish that this book would be wholly produced in Indonesia." – a great effort!