Unknown

"Indonesian Shadow Puppet Wayang Purwa, " Leather created in Indonesia

19th Century

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 17" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang 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...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 14" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang puppet shows. This puppet is an archer. Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀, "Shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre art...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 18 1/2" high with movable arms, was use...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist. This shadow puppet, 32" high and 9" wide with movable, was used in Indonesian Wayang puppet shows. Wayang (Kram...

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...

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...

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. It was used in Wayang...

Decorative Indonesian shadow puppet from the island of Java. A rare survivor with intricately handpainted leather hide. Sitting on finely carv...