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Description

Shadow puppet of male figure with gold face in profile. Represents the character Arjuna, Pandhawa Prince. Long neck with six black lines, projecting out from body. Long nose, open mouth with three teeth. Hair tied into curved plait that joins at top of head with two purple, white, green, gold, yellow and red attachments. Skirt is gold and brightly coloured with bird motif, torso is bare. Hair and skirt finely perforated. Long, jointed arms attached to controlling rods. Each hand has one red and two blue rings. Feet are joined heel to toe by red strip.

History Of Use

Wayang kulit shadow play is over a thousand years old. It is thought to be derived from the leather shadow puppetry of southern India, like tholu bommalata, which came to Java with the spread of Hinduism in the first millennium. In Java--part of the largely Islamic Republic of Indonesia--this highly distinctive form of shadow puppetry is valued as a pusaka, a sacred treasure of the royal court of Yogyakarta. The plays are performed to mark special occasions, such as birthdays, marriages, and religious events. They have also been adapted for television and for public education campaigns. At the heart of all performances is the dhalang, the leading artist, puppeteer and gamelan orchestra leader. With immense energy, drama, humour and creativity, the dhalang is responsible for manipulating the puppets; for interpreting their personalities and gestures; for speaking in their particular voices; for narrating the story and for conducting the gamelan orchestra— gongs, xylophones, drums, bowls, vocals, strings. When the play is about to begin, the dhalang places one of his gunungan or kayon—a large leaf-shaped shadow puppet-form representing a tree of life or sacred mountain—in the centre of the screen to separate the opposing groups of puppets and to announce that the cosmic order is in balance. Part way through the play, chaos descends when the four clown characters--Semar and his sons, Bagong, Gareng and Petruk--make an entry. They enliven and delight the audience with their crude and comic behaviours, jokes and songs.

Narrative

Puppet purchased in Sagio's workshop in Gendeng on the island of Java in September 1989.

Item History

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