Shadow Theatre in Java. The Puppets, Performance and Repertoire

Shadow Theatre in Java is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the most popular form of Javanese puppet theatre, wayang purwa, which employs flat leather puppets and is sometimes known as wayang kulit.

Part one surveys the different types of wayang and describes something of its origins and history and its place in everyday life. Part two describes how the puppets are made and major features of their iconography; it looks in detail at puppets of the Panakawan, the divine servants of the hero who provide comedy and commentary in performances. Part three describes the requirements for a wayang performance and its lakon or stages, and explains something of the skills and status of the dalang or puppeteer. And part four introduces the wayang repertoire, summarising the basic stories of the Arjuna Sasra Bau, Rama, and Pandawa cycles.