Wayang kulit of Java, Indonesia

Wayang kulit is without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayangs. Wayang kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. Kulit means skin and refers to the leather construction of the puppets that are carefully chiselled with very fine tools and supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods. When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen.

The plays are invariably based on romantic tales, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Some of the plays are also based on local happening or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor or dalang or master puppeteer to decide his direction.

The puppet figures themselves vary from place to place. The most famous and the most commonly imitated style of puppets are found in Central Java, particularly the city of Surakarta (Solo) and the city of Yogyakarta . Regional styles of shadow puppets can also be found in West Java, Banyumas, Cirebon, Semarang, and East Java.

Performances of shadow puppet theatre are usually accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java.

UNESCO has designated wayang kulit, a shadow puppet theatre and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003. In return for the acknowledgment, UNESCO required Indonesians to preserve their heritage.

This postcard came from Monika (10 April 2014) Direct Swap.