Javanese shadow puppet

Shadow puppet depicting the figure of the Demon King, Bumiloka from the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata. The puppet is made from perforated leather with split bamboo support (repaired), with operating rods. It is gilded and painted.

This Shadow Puppet was made in Java in the early twentieth century.

Shadow plays (Wayang Kulit), which may be regarded as an extremely early precursor of cinema, originated in Java and India thousands of years ago. These thin leather puppets are intricately perforated and painted and depict figures from folklore and religious texts. This puppet most likley depicts Bumiloka, the demon king from the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata compiled between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. The puppets are manipulated by rods either in daylight or in front of a translucent screen, lit from behind so that the puppet is seen in silhouette.