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Iconographic Meaning

Yellow (gold) facial colour usually reserved for characters of the highest nobility, represents calm nature. Batiked skirt, elaborate headdress with Garuda Mungkur (mythical bird) also associated with figures of noble or deified ancestry. Character displays mostly traits of an honourable, wealthy personage, but position of eyes (glancing upward) shows arrogant or impious tendencies. Fine facial features and moustache are refined. Role character plays obscure, but is certainly well-bred.

Cultural Context

Theatrical performance.

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. Character role not known. However, its almost exclusively good or noble traits suggest that it would appear to the right of the stage, perhaps in portraying a minor prince, official, or administrator.

Description

Male figure (part a), with head (part b) and pointed rod (part c) with circular metal disk around centre: face painted yellow, yellow ears, red lips, four gold teeth exposed. Gold eyeballs with black pupils looking upwards, black eyebrows each forming long arches. Black caste mark, black beauty mark on right above corner of mouth. Top of head is flat; wears gold crown, headdress of green, red, black, gold, and yellow rises up at the back to an open-mouthed creature with gold lolling tongue: has jagged teeth. Green hair shows beneath headdress. Long brown and black batik skirt, open at the back; black long-sleeved jacket, decorated front, tattered green and pink braid attached to each sleeve. Multicoloured shoulder ornaments (epaulettes), woven Mandarin-style collar. Wide blue band around waist; black, white, blue, and gold plastic belt. Smaller pink belt underneath. Gold painted hands.