BaliSource: Current Shows and Collections

Javanese Shadow Theater Indonesian shadow and doll puppet plays have their roots in prehistoric times, later merging with Hindu mythology and old Sufi tales widespread in Java and Bali. The stories are still performed to this day for special events such as planting and harvest celebrations and at times of transition in the lives of individuals and communities. The antique puppets collection in these groups are primarily from the Island of Java and are 40 to 75 years old. There are mainly 2 different types of puppets : 1) Wayang kulit: shadow puppets finely carved from buffalo hide and mounted on a bamboo or buffalo horn pole, and: 2) Wayang golek: 3 dimensional puppets carved from wood. The wooden puppets were made from hard wood and have been painted with older types of colors, sometimes using natural pigments and fish glue medium. Of these 3 dimensional wood puppets, the most remarkable are the 'wayang gambyong', considered the central jewel found in some of the finest old sets of (usually 200-300) leather shadow-puppets. Its function was to open and close the play. This uncommon and outstanding puppet was dressed with rich materials and adorned with superb ornaments. It is the rarest and most precious type of wooden puppet in Indonesia.
	The wayang kulit are the puppets whose silhouettes appear so strangely behind the screen, and which enact the shadow-play...
	In the Java shadow theater, the wayang gambyong introduce the seance; they are the links between the human world of the viewers and the mystery world of the shadow-play....
	Several rare mounted wayang goleks riding real and mythical animals.
More collections:
	A group of early 20th ritual masks of Java and Madura
	The art of fine sculpture in Bali had it's golden age after the twenties until the post-war independence in the late forties. We present a fine group of these graceful and attractive works.

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