A tracing of the figure to be made, usually in profile, is gummed onto a piece of skin of a suitable size and the outline of the character cut out with a small knife.
Once the animal hide has been dried following the removal of all flesh, it is scraped until it becomes nearly translucent. Only a single arm is articulated in most figures. Standing approximately 70 cm (28 inches) high and 30.5 cm (12 inches) wide, wayang kulit are constructed of cow or goat hide. Pak Nasir, a reputable Kelantanese puppet maker, putting the finishing touches to a small wayang kulit puppet using bright enamel paints. The principal figures, representing semi-divine beings and ogres, exhibit features derived from indigenous Malay, Javanese and Thai traditions. Wayang kulit figures are generally symbolic rather than realistic. A complete wayang kulit set consists of approximately 60 puppets representing the principal characters of Hikayat Maharaja Wana, a local version of the Hindu Ramayana epic, several minor figures, as well as stage properties, the most important being the leaf-shaped pohon beringin or “tree of life”. It is here also that the art of making two-dimensional puppets may be seen.
Wayang kulit or shadow play is an art form most often associated with the northeastern state of Kelantan in Peninsular Malaysia. Several Kelantan-style wayang kulit puppets seen from the front of a cloth screen (kelir), from left to right: Hanuman Kera Putih, Seri Rama, Wak Long, Laksmana and Pak Dogol.
0 kommentar(er)
