Javanese Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppets
A unique Collection of Old, Rare and Beautiful Wayang Kulit and Klitik Puppets for Sale
Old Javanese Wayang Kulit Kayon or Gunungan (104cm/41 inches)
A superbly tooled and highly collectable pre 1950 Javanese Kayon or Gunungan Shadow Puppet. The Gunungan is a symbol of the cosmos and the tree of life and is used at the beginning and end of every shadow-play performance, and to show scene changes. It can be used to represent a mountain, trees, water, a lake, sea and fire.
The above photos do not do justice to the superb craftsmanship and carving of this leather buffalo hide wayang puppet, and the fantastic shadows it casts. It is simply too difficult to photograph the intricately cutout detail. The painting may be nothing special, faded with age, and the skin slightly warped, but it should be remembered that this is not a decorative tourist item but a genuine performance puppet that has been used countless times over many years to entertain and inform a Javanese audience. It was the singular and most important puppet among a huge and unique set of wayang characters created to be seen as moving shadows. None-the-less…it remains an interesting and attractive object in daylight. The Ganungan, which is signed SD, has a wooden handle and a rattan support.
A Dalang or Puppeteer will typically carve his own set of puppets over many years, and will occasionally replace an individual character as it wears out. Old sets are hard to come by as they become family heirlooms and are therefore rarely sold. Occasionally a dealer will acquire a set and sell the puppets individually, with the most popular characters fetching more (the gunungan would usually obtain the highest price). All of the wayang puppets in our collection, including this one, were purchased in the 1980s from a small Indonesian museum when they became surplus to display requirements.
PRICE: £270.00 (US$445)
The Gunungan has three sides: The good (positive) side, the evil (negative) side, the shadow side.
The good side - positive energy: The over-all shape of the mountain (the Gunungan), reveals at the base a number of steps leading up to two temple doors. On either side of the doors stand two Raksasas, giant gate keepers, who guard our spiritual temple. At the beginning of the performance, when the music begins to play, the dalang symbolically opens the temple doors and invites his audience to enter the magical world of Wayang where our perceptions will change. The roof of the temple is flanked by two Garuda birds. Garuda’s flight sets us free. Atop the temple roof grows our tree of life. It is nourished by spirituality. Like our family, the tree of life spreads its branches and multiplies, creating shelter and harmony for all living things. As we strive upwards through many lifetimes to reach Nirvana, symbolized by the "Tundjung" flower blossom in the tip of the Gunungan, we must first pass Naga, the snake wrapped around the tree facing downwards. Naga is our grounding and earth attachment. Centred, is the face of Banaspati, symbol of protection from danger, who guides us on our journey through life.
The evil side - negative energy: The mountain reveals consuming flames and fire. Centred is a huge demonic face with its tongue hanging out and eyes bulging. Not a pretty sight! This evil energy unleashed, consumes and destroys. It is energy turned negative.
The shadow side - spirit energy: In the context of wayang kulit, the shadow is the ancestral spirit returned to earth to be experienced on a cosmic plane (the screen). The Gunungan's two sides symbolize opposite energies. The third, the shadow side, remains one and the same, whichever side the Gunungan is turned. The shadow is spirit energy.
Wayang Kulit Two-Horse Carriage – Java
(75x40cm/29x16 inches – excluding supports)
An interesting and unusual pre1950 leather shadow puppet of a traditional two-horse carriage with a modern (possibly Dutch) soldier attendant. The puppet, which is identical on both sides, is supported by the original wooden handle and a bamboo cane. The colours have faded a bit over the years, but this large wayang puppet is otherwise in excellent condition. It casts a great shadow and has a strong silhouette.
PRICE: £115.00 (US$190)
(75x40cm/29x16 inches – excluding supports)
Antique Javan Wayang Klitik Puppet (40x16cm/16x6 inches)
An old gilded and painted wood Wayang Klitik puppet from central Java. It depicts an unarmed bearded male character of a course disposition wearing a sarong. Very nicely carved in low relief from teak wood and painted and gilded, the puppet is identical on both sides. The jointed leather arms are manipulated by bamboo sticks attached to the hands. Wayang klitik puppets, unlike wayang kulit (shadow puppets), are operated directly in front of the audience without a screen. Performances are rare these days, and old wayang klitik puppets are increasingly difficult to find. This puppet is in very good condition for its age.
PRICE: £125.00 (US$206)
Antique Javan Wayang Klitik Puppet (40x19cm/16x7.5 inches)
An old gilded and painted wood Wayang Klitik puppet from central Java. It depicts a fairly refined but angry male character armed with a keris (dagger) and wearing a sarong. Very nicely carved in low relief from teak wood and painted and gilded, the puppet is identical on both sides. The jointed leather arms are manipulated by bamboo sticks attached to the hands.
Wayang klitik puppets, unlike wayang kulit (shadow puppets), are operated directly in front of the audience without a screen. Performances are rare these days, and old wayang klitik puppets are increasingly difficult to find. This puppet is in very good condition for its age.
PRICE: £125.00 (US$206)
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