Diversity of My Wonderland

Indonesia is rich in culture, tribe, natural resources, languages that create different kinds of folk masterpieces. Everytime I travel, I always find out anything marvellous to learn. I got plenty of different things of the same stuffs from different places of my country. Every single one of them draws its own history depends on its cultures.

Honestly, I’m not a maven, but I always put myself on being an observer for anything I catch in. As I learn the phenomenon inside things of what I suppose, I’d love to trace something back and forth through its history. Curiosity of the provenance always descends upon my mind everytime I find things contain historical value.

Putting my two cents into cultural diversity of my country, I'm trying to look into it from simple things, as an example, wayang. I simply think,wayang from Java is sharp-pointed carving, it is always shaped as thin posture with cool face and looks a lot more classic. It is most likely influenced by its folk cultures. We could trace it all by looking back to the ancient Javanese. It relates to its own cultures of the past centuries that the ancients have an ossified character and behavior of doing penance. 

Classic Javanese puppet, sketched by KletingKuning Folk Art

(Javanese puppet on shadow play in World Wayang Summit 2012)

More classic yet so charming. Makes me feel like flying away with my Arjuna to Astinapura:)

(Javanese puppet on shadow play in World Wayang Summit 2012)

Before I tell you a lot more about Wayang, you better get to know what exactly it is. If you go on Wiki and searched for 'wayang', you will find it easily. It’s because this one of Indonesian cultural heritage has been granted for World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, along with another Indonesian heritage stuffs such as Batik, Keris, and Angklung.

 

Wayang is Javanese name of puppet made from water buffalo hide with its three sticks made from water buffalo horn. This 4th century Javanese heritage is well preserved. It can be admirably watched in Javanese shadow play theather which is commonly performed in East Java and Central  Java. It is all about cultural wisdoms, instead of an entertainment. But you would enjoy it really as well:)

Javanese puppet: carved sharply, thin posture, cool expression

While Balinese wayang puppet is carved circularly, shaped as gallant posture with smiling face and mostly looks more colorful. The character of Balinese which is calm but heroic and cheerful compared to the Javanese which is quiet but ossified and daring makes the bold line between these two cultures. Seems closely yet far away.

Balinese puppet: carved circularly, gallant posture, kind expression

Balinese puppet looks more colorful

Vocal point of difference of Javanese puppet and Balinese puppet: cool face vs smiling face:)