Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

Unknown
"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900

circa 1900

$2,450
£1,818.99
€2,119.63
CA$3,401.39
A$3,804.67
CHF 1,979.97
MX$46,836.79
NOK 25,189.36
SEK 23,632.58
DKK 15,814.55
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 20" 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: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1161d1stDibs: LU60533000933

More From This Seller

View All
"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 28" 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...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist. This shadow puppet, 25" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang Klitik puppet shows. Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀, "Shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre art...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 24" tall. Traditional Wayang Golek plays can be comp...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 23" tall. Traditional Wayang Golek plays can be comp...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 26" 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...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

"Indonesian Golek Puppet (Male), " Handmade Carved, Painted Wood & Fabric c. 1900
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This Golek puppet was made by an unknown Indonesian artist using wood and cloth. It is approximately 24" 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...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

You May Also Like

Indonesian 'Wayang Golek" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This “Wayang Golek” is a visibly old shadow puppet carved using soft wood and cloth. It features an articulated head and arms connected to rods, the dress...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Wood, Fabric

Indonesian 'Wayang Golek" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This “Wayang Golek” is a visibly old shadow puppet carved using soft wood and cloth. It features an articulated head and arms connected to rods, the dress...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rods (however this puppet lost one of its bamboo rods over the years due to age) It was used in Wayang puppet...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Leather, Wood

Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rod...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tribal Art

Materials

Leather, Wood

Antique Wood Balinese Scarecrow
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large antique wooden scare crow used in a rice field from Bali. Arms swing. A great character and piece of folk art! On custom iron base
Category

20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Antique Wood Balinese Scarecrow
$450 Sale Price
86% Off
19th Century Italian / Sicilian Large Hand-Crafted Puppet Marionette
Located in London, GB
19th Century Italian / Sicilian Large Hand-Crafted Puppet Marionette In the rare form of an Arabic clothed gentle with long turned up moustache. The head, hands and feet are all h...
Category

Antique 1870s Italian Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Pine