Indonesian shadow puppet
Shadow Puppet
late 19th century-early 20th century (made)
late 19th century-early 20th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The bulbous nose, staring eyes and grimacing red mouth of this delicately incised shadow puppet are characteristic of an evil character in Indonesian shadow theatre, or Wayang kulit. The puppet master or 'dalang' presenting the shows on a stage made of banana logs is considered an almost god-like figure, and his lengthy shows are viewed from either side of the screen on which the filigree shadows are thrown.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Indonesian shadow puppet (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pierced, painted and gilt buffalo hide with wooden rods |
| Brief description | Indonesian shadow puppet representing an evil male character, late 19th or early 20th century |
| Physical description | Indonesian shadow puppet with wooden rods, representing a full-length evil male character with bulbous nose, staring eyes and grimacing red mouth, wearing gold armlets and bracelets and red anklets. The body is painted black, with gold, red, blue and black decoration on his lhungi and headdress. There is decorative piercing throughout the figure, especially in the areas of the hair, beard, chest and lhungi, to enhance the effect of the figure when seen in shadow. The figure is jointed at the shoulders and elbows to allow for flexible arm movement when operated by the rods fixed to each hand |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Walter Kupfer |
| Object history | Made for Indonesian shadow puppet performances knows as Wayang Kulit, probably in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. |
| Historical context | Wayang Kulit shadow performances are strongly ritualistic, and the puppets themselves are attributed with magical powers. The shows are performed behind lit screens with the puppeteer or dalang operating the puppets, to the accompaniment of an orchestra or gamelan. Early plays were inspired by stories in Hindu epics such as The Mahabharata and The Ramayana, but after the late 15th-century, Islamic and Arabic sources were incorporated into the repertoire. The good characters are recognisable by their elongated eyes and their pointed noses, whilst the evil characters have round eyes, upturned bulbous noses and protruding teeth. Even today Javanese puppet shows are imbued with mystical associations and often form part of marriage, birth and thanksgiving ceremonies. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Retail |
| Association | |
| Summary | The bulbous nose, staring eyes and grimacing red mouth of this delicately incised shadow puppet are characteristic of an evil character in Indonesian shadow theatre, or Wayang kulit. The puppet master or 'dalang' presenting the shows on a stage made of banana logs is considered an almost god-like figure, and his lengthy shows are viewed from either side of the screen on which the filigree shadows are thrown. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.381-1999 |
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| Record created | April 13, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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