Javanese rod puppet

There are very strong traditions of puppetry in Indonesia. Wayang refers to all types of puppet theatre: wayang kulit (shadow puppets), wayang golek (wooden rod puppets) and wayang klitik (flat wooden puppets). Wayang literally means shadow or ghost.

The wooden rod puppets are gracefully carved and painted, and are clothed in printed fabric with real jewellery set with glass stones. There are regional variations in the style of the puppets as well as the preferred stories used and enacted. For example, the Hindu epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata are popular in West Java; the figures are more conventionalised. In Central Java, an Islamic cycle of stories portraying historical and human affairs is popular. Here the puppets are clothed in Javanese traditional dress (including batik printed sarongs and velvet jackets). Rod puppet sets are relatively small (50 to 80 pieces). A number of the puppets are common to every set, and hardly vary.

Puppet making is a traditional family skill. The master maker holds responsibility for making the head, as it is key to the personality of the puppet. The making of deities or demons is usually accompanied by ceremonies and offerings.

The puppeteer holds knowledge of the stories, histories, personalities and conventions of the gods and heroes. He is also the leader of the gamelan, an ensemble of up to 30 instruments which accompanies the performance. During the performance, the puppeteer's head is visible to the audience. The puppeteer narrates events, and speaks the dialogue in different roles (usually using a combination of Sanskrit, archaic Javanese and more contemporary address). The puppeteer also sings and directs the musicians as he performs. The performance requires great intellectual and physical stamina, as it often runs through the night without interval.