JAVA_PUPPET_AND_ART
Java puppet – completely Java Leather Puppet Shadow Play, in Bahasa Indonesia called “Wayang Kulit” was very well-known entertainment and regarded as one of the earliest forms and classical of animation. The word “wayang” is derived from the Javanese language “ayang-ayang” (means shadow) because always played using the light of lamp. The puppet can be moved or operated (“animated”) by using stick roped in the lower part of the hands by a man called dalang
The puppet (wayang) were standing or erecting on the piece of the stem of banana tree called debog . (see picture). And there is a screen made of stretched white cloth layer or keber.
Some types of wayang are consisting of two dimensional puppets made of leather and operated by a dalang or puppeteer before a screen illuminated by a lamp, which can be viewed either from in front of or from behind the screen, eg. Wayang Kulit Purwa Goya Surakarta
Wayang is a special form of art because it possesses qualities which are in Javanese referred to as adiluhung and edipeni, very noble and very beautiful, (ethics and aesthetics).
These Indonesian shadow plays are regarded as one of the earliest forms of animation. The culture of Indonesia is reflected in the plays that act as a carrier of myth, morality play, and form of religious experience rolled into one. These shadow puppets are conceived to possess great spiritual power, and are "brought to life" by special ceremonies executed by the puppet master and story teller who is popularly known as dalang. The dalang is a man with versatile talents. He must have a repertory of hundreds of stories, play the music, have an elan for showmanship, execute the essential sanctified rituals, and also know how to make the intricate, flat, leather puppets. The stories that are narrated in the Wayang Kulit (Leather Puppet Shadow Play) are usually mythical & morality tales. These stories generally reflect on the rich, colorful and diverse culture of Indonesia. The dalang with the help of the shadow puppets narrates the story line and beautifies the universal themes with the means of improvisational digressions The Wayang Kulit (Leather Puppet Shadow Play) is generally organized during sacred temple ceremonies, private family ceremonies, and in the villages, just for fun in Java and Bali. A performance can last all night long, sometimes up to six hours or until dawn. The plays generally involve frolic and light humor in the lighthearted Javanese or Balinese fashion. Every aspect of the Wayang Kulit (Leather Puppet Shadow Play) has mystical overtones, symbolism, and esoteric meanings. The UNESCO denominated Wayang Kulit as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 200
