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"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
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About the Item

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 found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, wherein a dramatic story is told through shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters. The art form celebrates the Indonesian culture and artistic talent; its origins are traced to the spread of Hinduism in the medieval era and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern India. Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as wayang. Performances of shadow puppet theatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java, and by gender wayang in Bali. The dramatic stories depict mythologies, such as episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana, the Mahabharata as well as local adapations of cultural legends. Traditionally, a wayang is played out in a ritualized midnight-to-dawn show by a dalang, an artist and spiritual leader; people watch the show from both sides of the screen.
  • Creation Year:
    circa 1900
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 25 in (63.5 cm)Width: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1507d1stDibs: LU60533000993

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