Javanes shadow puppet or Wayang Kulit puppet ; male figure; gilded and painted leather; articulated. Possibly the figure of Hanuman.
Javanese shadow puppet, early twentieth century.
This Shadow Puppet was made in Java. Shadow plays, which may be regarded as an extremely early precursor of cinema, originated in Java and India some thousands of years ago. These thin leather puppets are intricately perforated and painted and depict figures in folklore. They are manipulated by rods in front of a translucent screen, lit from behind so that the puppet is seen in silhouette. These are still in use today.
Details
- Category:
- Cinematography
- Object Number:
- 1990-5036/6534
- Materials:
- gold leaf, leather, paint and wood (unidentified)
- type:
- shadow puppet
- credit:
- The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford
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