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"Golek Puppet (Male), " Wood & Cloth created in Indonesia circa 1900

circa 1900

About the Item

This Golek Puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 22" tall. Traditional Wayang Golek plays can be compared to European and North America: most performances revolve around Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses who fight against evil, mystical, beings to (usually) end happily. Three-dimensional Indonesian puppets are carved out of light, soft wood. The head of the puppet is the most important part, and that is the most intricately carved section of each puppet. The puppeteer will often carve the face of a bird into the back of the puppet's headdress.Once the head is carved, the waist and torso are then carved.After the head and torso have been created, a hole is drilled from the neck to the bottom of the trunk where a large wooden rod is placedThe head is then mounted on the top of the wooden rodThe arms are then carved into two sections: shoulder to elbow, and hand to elbow Wayang Golek performances take place on special events: weddings, religious ceremonies or cultural days. Performances usually begin at 9:30pm and last until 4:30am in the morning. A puppet troupe may be hired by an individual, a family or an entire village for a particular special day. A puppet troupe can consist of up to 30 people who are all directed by the dalang. The dalang is the puppet master that organizes the entire troupe: he is referred to as a master musician, an epic storyteller, a comic wonder and even a deep philosopher. Some dalangs even have the power to perform exorcisms! Dalang's are also similar to a spiritual guide: they tell epic tales about gods and goddesses and other spiritual beings: they are similar to a priest, a reverend or any other type of religious leader. A Wayang Golek Dalang operates puppets in front of a crowd. The Dalang sits on a raised platform in the centre of a crown of people. He can operate several puppets at once by using an ingenious device called: the banana log. The banana log is a long, rectangular and has several holes drilled into it. It is used to stabilize puppets so that the Dalang can operate more than one puppet at the same time. Puppet training begins usually at the age of 10-12, and the young puppeteer often trains with a relative.
  • Creation Year:
    circa 1900
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22 in (55.88 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1138d1stDibs: LU60532567811

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