Wayang Kulit-Schattenpuppe - 50 - Doll

Traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppet, probably from Indonesia

Typically, Wayang Kulit figures are intricately carved from buffalo leather and given fine perforations to create detailed silhouettes in the shadow play. They are often hand-painted with gold and vibrant colors. The figures frequently depict characters from the ancient Indian epics Ramayana or Mahabharata.

Originally these traditional puppets come from Java or Bali and are used for a shadow theater. Today they also serve as decorative artworks.

With regard to the depicted figure, it could be Gatotkaca (also written Gathutkaca), a well-known hero from the Mahabharata epic. He is known for his superhuman strength and the ability to fly. The figure has no control rods and also no small holes at the hands. This suggests that it was not actively used in shadow theater, but produced as a high-quality art object for wall mounting or as a framed collectible. I assume that it is between 30 and 50 years old.

The figure is about 50 cm tall. Its arms are movable.

It comes from a smoke-free household.