Wayang Kulit

Wayang is a traditional puppet theater play of Indonesia that is derived from a Javanese word that means both “shadow” and “imagination.” Also, in Indonesia, all theater activities done using puppets are collectively referred to as wayang. Puppets used in wayang kulit and wayang golek are currently on display at the Special Exhibition Hall of ASEAN Culture House. 

In wayang kulit, flat puppets are used for shadow puppetry (kulit means “skin”). The puppets are made of leather, which is used to make the face and body while buffalo horn is used to make the handle. From behind a white screen, a bright light is cast from a lamp, which forms a shadow, while the song or the lines by the puppeteer convey the story. Wayang kulit is best characterized by the details expressed by the puppets. Wayang kulit can express facial features as well as detailed clothing decorations. On the other hand, three-dimensional puppets are used in wayang golek: rather than being used for shadow puppetry, they are used for ordinary puppetry, similar to the style of puppet performances of many other countries. 

As with many folk crafts, the puppets and masks for wayang vary in appearance according to the plot and performance of the play as well as the artisan. Just as ways of life are as diverse as the number of people living within a society, the puppets of wayang are as varied as the many people who make and use them.

Dalang, a performer of Wayang Kulit, performs Wayang Kulit from behind a screen