Art
Javanese Shadow Puppet
- Item Number
- 132
- Estimated Value
- 300 USD
- Opening Bid
- 150 USD
Item Description
Authentic Javanese Shadow Puppet, or ringgit, handmade by one of the great masters, 33 inches tall. This puppet depicts Bima, one of the Pandhawa brothers, a major character in the Mahabharata.
Wayang Kulit is a type of traditional puppet-shadow play that originated in India and is now performed in Indonesia. The Indonesian word "wayang" is derived from a word meaning shadow or ghost, while Kulit means leather or skin. The plays enact stories from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.
Lacy shadow images are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut-oil or electric light. The Dalang (shadow artist) manipulates carved leather figures between the lamp and the screen to bring the shadows to life. Wayang Kulit is often performed during wedding celebrations, especially in Java.
The important characters are usually represented by several puppets each. The wayang is usually made out of water buffalo and goat hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. The carving and punching of the rawhide, which is most responsible for the character's image and the shadows that are cast, are guided by this sketch. A mallet is used to tap special tools, called tatah, to punch the holes through the rawhide. Making the wayang sticks from horn is a complicated process of sawing, heating, hand-molding, and sanding until the desired effect is achieved. When the materials are ready, the artist attaches the handle by precisely molding the ends of the horn around the individual wayang figure and securing it with thread. A large character may take months to produce.
Item Special Note
Item or item certificate may be picked up at Lotus Music & Dance 262 West 38th Street, Suite 1006, New York, NY 10018 on Mondays thru Thursdays, from Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 through Thursday, November 10, 2016, between the hours of 12Noon and 5PM or by appointment. Items expire a year from the auction close unless otherwise noted.
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