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Cultural Context

Theatrical performance.

Iconographic Meaning

Refined form and white face of puppet indicate a good, spiritual personality, also emphasized by small eyes and mouth. Puppet represents a teacher, monk or holy seer known collectively as Pandita. However, red eyes turned upwards are symbolic of evil, showing the character of the puppet as ambiguous, allowing the dalang to define its role. Flat hands with extended fingers represent ordinary people or demons; the puppet is not noble although some of its features are distinguished.

History Of Use

Javanese puppetry as an art form probably developed by the 11th century. The three-dimensional wooden wayang golek puppets of western Java, which are to be distinguished from the earlier and more sacred wayang kulit shadow plays puppets or other forms, appeared during the 16th century. Originally the plays depicted Javanese mythology, but after the Indian conquest of Java the Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, were incorporated into the cycles, which comprise about 200 plays. An individual or group hires a dalang (puppet-master) to celebrate important occasions. The performances often last all night and are generally presented in three acts, with vocal and instrumental accompaniment. The individual plays vary widely in detail but usually involve conflict between good and evil. They serve a moral and religious purpose, and more recently, one of political commentary. Each puppet's character is represented by its appearance and placement onstage; protagonists with strong elements of good are placed to the right, antagonists of violent or evil nature to the left. This puppet, Pandita, commonly portrays a holy teacher, seer, or monk, which can be either good or evil. In each puppet set there are at least two Pandita puppets.

Description

Three-dimensional male puppet: large head (part b) fits into body with tunic (part a), and a control rod (part c) with a long shaft passes through the body and fits into the neck of the figure's head. The body has jointed arms, each with a long controlling rod attached. The figure has a prominent nose, protruding chin, small eyes with red irises turned upwards. Small mouth, red lips. Black lines define nose, eyes, wrinkles, beard, short black hair, and sideburns. Face is glossy white, head tilted slightly forward, turban or cloth wrapped around head with light and dark blue, red, pink, and white stripes with black lines. Body clothed in a long, faded off-white tunic with long sleeves. Dropped shoulders, stand-up collar, and slit on side. Sash with gold, yellow, green, red and purple embroidery crosses diagonally over the torso. Hands are flat with fingers extended, and red bracelets at wrists.