Wayang golek

NameRod puppet

Dateca. 1970

Place madeJava, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

MediumWood, paint, fabric, sequins, beads, string

Dimensions25 × 6 × 2 3/4 in. (63.5 × 15.25 × 7 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of John J. and Beverly R. Pinney and family, A.2013.55.17a-c

Object numberA.2013.55.17a-c

Collections

Asia

ProvenanceThis collection was made near Bandung. Beverly Pinney’s husband worked for the US State Department (Agency for International Development) in the early 1970s. Ms. Pinney began collecting textiles and wayang golek as a way to learn about Indonesia. Her textiles (not included in this gift) are more representative of wide-ranging Indonesian cultures. The wayang golek represent the more local culture of West Java, where she was living. A puppet maker (whose name she cannot recall) travelled from his village by bus to Bandung with a large box of wayang golek. She got to know this artist and hosted a party for other expats to buy puppets. Through this experience she learned about the puppets and began collecting. While her son has kept some items, Ms. Pinney’s collection is a good representation of a wayang golek set, with important characters.

DescriptionPink face, red/blue/white/gold hat, black/red cuffs, brown velvet panels, brown fringe, brown patterned skirt, red eyes