Every set must have one, but it is kept in a special bag to protect it. Some puppets like the Batara Buru, equated with Siva standing on a bull, are powerful and seldom seen. Balinese shadow puppets are more naturalistic.īesides the characters of humans and gods, there are puppets of birds, all kinds of domestic and wild animals like elephants, tigers and horses, even sets of weapons. The highly stylized form of Javanese puppets is usually considered to be Islamic, but a similar style also appears on earlier Hindu carvings at Candi Panataran. The first documentary evidence appears in the 11th - 13th centuries. Puppet theater was established in the royal courts by the 1st century A.D. Shadow puppets may have came from India with traders and priests who used them to explain the Hindu religion however, they could predate Hindu influence as all the terms are Javanese. Characters like ogres have only one arm.įigure 3: Dursosono, displays traits considered kasar or crude. Some large puppets represent physically strong, but virtuous characters. Their noses and eyes get larger and rounder. More aggressive characters are physically bigger. For example, this puppet of Karno, one of the hundred Kurewas princes opposing the virtuous Pandawa princes.įigure 2: (right) Karno is one of the "bad" princes, but has many characteristics of the princely alus style. Middle size characters may be strong like good kings or princely warriors. Refined, virtuous characters have small bodies, slitted oval eyes with pupils like rice grains, pointed noses and a modest downward gaze to delicate feet. The puppet characters range between alus (extremely refined) and kasar (rough and crude). Red shows a fiery temperament, white represents innocence or youth. Some characters are partially identified by their color: Vishnu is black Siva has a gold face. Children often do the painting and the inked details so they will learn the different characters. Cheaper puppets are finished with store paint and gilt. Expensive puppets made for display even have gold studs set with diamonds.īetter puppets are painted with traditional pigments including powdered burnt bone for white, lampblack, indigo, yellow ochre and cinnabar mixed in fish glue or egg tempera mediums and accented with gold leaf. The leather arms are hinged at the shoulders and elbows with metal, bone or bamboo studs, then fitted with sticks for the dalang to move. Puppets are fitted with long polished buffalo ( kebu) horn or bamboo stick handles. Her dodot skirt train hangs to the side in the Jogjakarta style. She may represent Srikandi, one of the wives of Arjuna. In a fine puppet, this takes weeks.įigure 1: Unpainted puppet shows the finely punched detail in her stylized clothes and the graceful curve of the horn handle. The details are punched with a wooden mallet and sets of metal punches and chisels. He cuts the body free plus separate pieces for the arms. The puppet maker, using a template as a guide, scratches the outline and guide lines for details into the hide. Village puppets use thicker water buffalo or goat hide, sometimes sticks and rice straw or even cardboard or scrap metal. The best puppets are made from young female water buffalo parchment and the curing can take up to ten years. Hide is scraped thin to make it even, then cured so it will not warp. Important characters are represented by several different versions in a set. Puppets range from 10 to 30 inches high (25 to 75 cm). Sarinah Department Store (Jl.Wayang Kulit (: New Guinea tribal art and Indonesian folk art)Īrt-Pacific Home | Site map | Guide to Artifacts > Indonesian Artifacts > Indonesian Puppets > Wayang KulitĪrt-Pacific (Carolyn Leigh - Ron Perry) : Guide to Artifacts Wayang Kulit.These are fantastic gifts for all the children in your life of various ages – your own children, nieces, nephews and the children of your best friends. You will even be able to find some traditional designs that have been recreated in the form of puppets many times over, for the last couple of hundred years. Wayang kulit puppets refer to either shadow or leather puppets whereas wayang golek refers to wooden puppets.Īll puppets are beautifully handmade and each one represents a different character, animal, god and representation. It is interesting to know that there are actually two distinct categories of puppets in Indonesia, mainly wayang kulit and wayang golek. Puppets were used to tell stories, folk tales and ancient myths. The history of puppets in Indonesia dates back centuries ago.
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