Wayang golek

Last updated
Wayang golek
Wayang golek SF Asian Art Museum.JPG
TypesTraditional puppet theatre
Ancestor arts Sundanese people
Originating culture Indonesia
Wayang Puppet Theatre
Dalang.jpg
A dalang (puppeteer) playing Ghatotkacha character on the stage
Country Indonesia
CriteriaPerforming arts, Traditional craftsmanship
Reference 063
Region Asia and the Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription2008 (3rd session)
List Representative List
Unesco Cultural Heritage logo.svg
Wayang Kulit, Wayang Golek, Wayang Klithik

Wayang golek is one of the traditional Sundanese puppet arts from West Java, Indonesia. In contrast to the wayang art in other areas of Java island that use leather in the production of wayang, wayang golek is a wayang art made of wood. Wayang Golek is very popular in West Java, especially in the Pasundan land area. [1] [2] Today, wayang golek has become an important part of Sundanese culture.

Contents

On November 7, 2003, UNESCO designated Wayang the flat leather shadow puppet ( wayang kulit ), the flat wooden puppet (wayang klitik), and the three-dimensional wooden puppet (wayang golek) theatre, as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In return for the acknowledgment, UNESCO required Indonesians to preserve the tradition. [3]

Etymology

The term wayang golek is the Javanese word, it consists of two words wayang and golek. Wayang for "shadow" [4] [5] or "imagination" and Golek for "seek". The words equivalent in Indonesian are bayang and mencari. In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary, wayang can refer to the puppet itself or the whole puppet theatre performance.

History

Wayang Golek (wooden puppet) performance, Indonesia Wayang santri.jpg
Wayang Golek (wooden puppet) performance, Indonesia

The history of the Wayang Golek began in the 17th century. Initially, the Wayang Golek art emerged and was born on the north coast of the island of Java, especially in Cirebon, the Wayang used is the Wayang Cepak in the form of a papak or flat head. According to legend, Sunan Suci used this Wayang Cepak to spread Islam in the community. At that time, the Wayang Cepak performance still used Cirebonese in its dialogue. The Wayang Golek art began to develop in West Java during the expansion of the Mataram sultanate.

Wayang Golek began to develop with Sundanese as a dialogue. In addition to being a medium for spreading religion, Wayang Golek serves to complement thanksgiving or ruwatan events. At that time the puppet show was still without using sindhen as an accompanist. Wayang Golek began using the accompaniment of sinden in the 1920s. Until now the Wayang Golek continues to develop as entertainment for the community, especially in Sundanese land.

In this Wayang Golek show, as with other wayang shows, plays and stories are played by a puppeteer. The difference is the language in the dialogue that is brought is Sundanese language. The standard and the wayang Golek are also the same as wayang kulit, for example in the Ramayana and Mahabharata stories. But the difference is in the character of the clown, the naming and form of the clown have their version, namely the Sundanese version.

In addition to the Ramayana and Mahabharata stories, there are also stories and carangan stories. In this wayangan story, the mastermind makes his own story line which is usually taken from folklore or daily life. in the story carangan usually contains moral messages, criticism, humor and others - others. In the story carangan is not only used to develop the story, but also to measure the quality of the mastermind in making the story. In this puppet show besides accompanied by sinden also accompanied by Sundanese gamelan such as saron, peking, celery, bonang, kenong, gong, rebab, kempul xylophone, drums and culant drums.

In its development, Wayang Golek remains one of the traditional arts of the pride of the people of West Java. Proven Wayang Golek still colors various events such as ruwatan, thanksgiving and other large events. In addition, some artists continue to develop it with a number of additional creations to make it look attractive and stay sustainable without eliminating the grip in it.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamelan</span> Traditional ensemble music of Indonesia

Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. The most common instruments used are metallophones and a set of hand-drums called kendang, which keep the beat. The kemanak, a banana-shaped idiophone, and the gangsa, another metallophone, are also commonly used gamelan instruments on Bali. Other notable instruments include xylophones, bamboo flutes, a bowed string instrument called a rebab, and a zither-like instrument called a siter, used in Javanese gamelan. Additionally, vocalists may be featured, being referred to as sindhen for females or gerong for males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puppetry</span> Form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets

Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performance is also known as a puppet production. The script for a puppet production is called a puppet play. Puppeteers use movements from hands and arms to control devices such as rods or strings to move the body, head, limbs, and in some cases the mouth and eyes of the puppet. The puppeteer sometimes speaks in the voice of the character of the puppet, while at other times they perform to a recorded soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Java</span> Province of Indonesia

Central Java is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in the south, East Java in the east, and the Java Sea in the north. It has a total area of 34,337.48 km2, with a population of 36,516,035 at the 2020 Census making it the third-most populous province in both Java and Indonesia after West Java and East Java. The official population estimate in mid-2022 was 37,032,410. The province also includes a number of offshore islands, including the island of Nusakambangan in the south, and the Karimun Jawa Islands in the Java Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayang</span> Indonesian puppet theatre

Wayang, also known as wajang, is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as wayang. Performances of wayang puppet theatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java, and by gender wayang in Bali. The dramatic stories depict mythologies, such as episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as local adaptations of cultural legends. Traditionally, a wayang is played out in a ritualized midnight-to-dawn show by a dalang, an artist and spiritual leader; people watch the show from both sides of the screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Indonesia</span> Overview of the culture of Indonesia

The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East, South Asia and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture, often different from the original indigenous cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow play</span> Ancient form of storytelling

Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-out shapes of the puppets sometimes include translucent color or other types of detailing. Various effects can be achieved by moving both the puppets and the light source. A talented puppeteer can make the figures appear to walk, dance, fight, nod and laugh.

<i>Wayang wong</i> Indonesian traditional theatre

Wayang wong, also known as wayang orang, is a type of classical Javanese and Balinese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episodes of the Ramayāna or Mahabharāta. Performances are stylised, reflecting Javanese court culture:

Wayang wong dance drama in the central Javanese Kraton of Yogyakarta represents the epitome of Javanese aesthetic unity. It is total theatre involving dance, drama, music, visual arts, language, and literature. A highly cultured sense of formality permeates every aspect of its presentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balinese dance</span> Indonesian ancient dance tradition

Balinese dance is an ancient dance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people of Bali island, Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angular, and intensely expressive. Balinese dancers express the stories of dance-drama through bodily gestures including gestures of fingers, hands, head, and eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer shadow theatre</span> Cambodian form of shadow play

Khmer shadow theatre are forms of shadow play in which leather shadow puppets are used. The two main genres are Sbek Thom, which features the Reamker, and Sbek Toch, which uses smaller puppets and a wide range of stories. Another genre called Sbek Por uses colored leather puppets. The shadow plays of Cambodia are closely related to and also resemble the shadow plays of Thailand, Indonesia (Wayang and Wayang kulit). In Cambodia, the shadow play is called Nang Sbek Thom, or simply as Sbek Thom, Sbek Touch and Sbek Por.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese dance</span> Traditional dances of the Javanese people of Indonesia

Javanese dance is the dances and art forms that were created and influenced by Javanese culture in Indonesia. Javanese dance movement is controlled, deliberate and refined. Javanese art often displays a finesse, and at the same time a serene composure which is elevated far above everything mundane. Javanese dance is usually associated with courtly, refined and sophisticated culture of the Javanese kratons, such as the bedhaya and srimpi dance. However, in a wider sense, Javanese dance also includes the dances of Javanese commoners and villagers such as ronggeng, tayub, reog, and jaran kepang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cepot</span> Wayang Golek character

Cepot or Astrajingga is one of the Wayang Golek characters in Sundanese puppetry. Cepot is a panakawan character of wayang golek alongside Dawala and Garéng, which do not exist in the original Mahabharata or Ramayana. Cepot is one of Semar's sons. Cepot is a rural character from the fictional village Tumaritis, where he lived with his father Semar and two of his brothers, Petruk and Dawala. Cepot is humorous and easy going, everything Cepot says tends to be funny, and Cepot's act has many slapstick jokes, mostly done together with its antagonist wayang golek character. Cepot in wayang golek puppetry also has other, good looking faces: Astrajingga, described with its straight, humble, good looking and white face. Cepot is the favourite character of Sundanese Indonesian wayang golek maestro Asep Sunandar Sunarya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundanese dance</span> Sundanese traditional dance, Indonesia

Sundanese dances is a dance tradition that is a part of ritual, artistic expression as well as entertainment and social conduct among the Sundanese people of West Java and Banten, Indonesia. Sundanese dance is usually cheerful, dynamic and expressive, with flowing movements in-sync with the beat of kendang accompanied with Gamelan degung music ensemble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayang kulit</span> Indonesian puppet theatre

Wayang kulit is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil light. The dalang manipulates carved leather figures between the lamp and the screen to bring the shadows to life. The narratives of wayang kulit often have to do with the major theme of good vs. evil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian art</span> Overview of the art in Indonesia

It is quite difficult to define Indonesian art, since the country is immensely diverse. The sprawling archipelago nation consists of 17.000 islands. Around 922 of those permanently inhabited, by over 1,300 ethnic groups, which speak more than 700 living languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunungan (wayang)</span> Indonesian puppet theatre

The gunungan, also known as kayon or kayonan in Bali, is a figure in the Indonesian theatrical performance of wayang e.g. wayang kulit, wayang klitik, wayang golek, and wayang beber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indra Swara</span> Musical artist

Indra Swara is a group promoting Indonesian art and culture in Mexico. It was created in December 2002 and it is mostly made up of young Mexicans, enthusiasts of Asian arts and particularly those of Indonesia. Some of its members have had the opportunity to study directly in the islands of Java and Bali through the Darmasiswa Scholarship program offered by the Indonesian government.

<i>Bambangan Cakil</i> Indonesian classical dance

Bambangan Cakil is a classical dance-drama of Javanese people in—particularly—Central Java, Indonesia. This dance-drama is demonstrates wayang performance due to the movement is adopted from one of the scenes in wayang kulit performance, that is the Perang Kembang scene. The Perang Kembang told about war between kesatria against raksasa. The kesatria has soft and gentle-characters, while the raksasa described as character who is rough and violent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre of Indonesia</span> Indonesian theatre

Indonesian theatre is a type of art in the form of drama performances that are staged on a stage, with a distinct Indonesian nuance or background. In general, theatre is an art that emphasizes the performing arts that are displayed in front of a large crowd. In other words, theater is a form of visualisation of a drama that is staged on the stage and watched by the audience. Indonesian theatre includes the performing arts of traditional theater and modern theatre located in the territory of Indonesia. Some examples of Indonesian theater are Arja, Wayang, Wayang wong, Lenong, Ludruk, Janger, Randai and others. Theatre in Indonesia can also be referred to as regional or ethnic theatre, because it originates and develops from 1,300 ethnic cultures in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayang beber</span> Indonesian puppet theatre

Wayang beber is an Indonesian wayang performance art whose presentation is manifested in a stretch sheets of paper or cloth with pictures in the stylized wayang accompanied by a narration by a dalang. Wayang beber performances emerged and developed in Java in pre-Islamic times, but continued into the Islamic kingdoms. The stories shown are taken from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. After Islam became the main religion in Java, more Panji stories were shown. Wayang beber bears a strong resemblance to narrative in the form of pictorial ballads common at annual fairs in medieval and early modern Europe. They too suffered the same fate—nearly extinct, although there are still groups of artists who support wayang beber in places like Surakarta (Solo) in Central Java.

References

  1. "Wayang Golek Kesenian Tradisional Dari Jawa Barat". negerikuindonesia.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  2. "Wayang Golek Cepak Warisan Tak Lekang Waktu Bagi Generasi Muda". kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  3. ""Wayang puppet theatre", Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2003)". UNESCO. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  4. "History and Etymology for Wayang". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. Mair, Victor H. Painting and Performance: Picture Recitation and Its Indian Genesis. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1988. p. 58.