Most non-Indonesians who have any familiarity with the term Wayang think of it as a form of theatre which features so-called “shadow puppets”.
Wayang kulit – the form which involves “shadow puppets” – is in fact just one of Indonesia’s several kinds of Wayang theatre.
One of them does not directly involve any puppets.
Another – the kind pictured above – features highly skilled puppetry and puppet-making, but its puppets are very unlike their Wayang kulit counterparts.
Wayang golek is specifically Sundanese.
It is still very popular in West Java, where most of Indonesia’s circa 42 million Sundanese people live; they are Indonesia’s second largest ethnic group.
In Wayang golek the puppets are not “flat”, not made of leather, and nor does the audience mostly see only their “shadows”.
Wayang golek puppets are carved from wood, are very colourful, fully three-dimensional, and they strut, dance and fight in full view of their audience.
Eventually, a multi-image post will show and tell a deal more.
Suffice for now that – via a highly skilled puppeteer, such as the one in this post’s photo – a Wayang golek warrior puppet really can fire an arrow from his bow!
(photo ©️ Doug Spencer, taken in Bandung, West Java at 3.47 pm on 16 October 2024)
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