124-A29-1 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Previously CS 407 1.

Displaying 1 - 4 of 4

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	2004.8.1	Puppet	Indian shadow puppet depicting the Ravana, the ten-headed, twenty-handed demon king who served as the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. The figure is made of a very thin, translucent animal hide (most likely water buffalo) which has been dyed and painted to represent a ten-headed man with vivid red skin (this figure, like most puppets of Ravana, only has two arms, this is done in order to keep the puppeteering manageable). The puppet's outfit is a simple black dress or robe with pink, red, and white trim, a decorative scarf with pink, white, and black patterns, and simple red and black boots. There is a single stick running through the middle of the figure which is attached by small loops of thread; this was used to hold and angle the character during shows, the figure is also given limited movement through articulation at the shoulders, elbows, and knees (an uncommon pattern for Indian shadow puppets, there is no common tradition that uses articulated knees that does not also include articulated wrists) also done using thread. Character is about a foot tall, this is notable because most Indian puppets are much larger than this, with 2-4 feet tall being standard. There are several distinct styles of shadow puppetry in India, each with distinct traditions and aesthetics that reflect the regional culture they originate from. From these traditions, there can also be less common variations or even a blending where two or more traditions overlap, this can make it very difficult to distinguish with 100% certainty where a puppet originates from without a detailed provenance. As such, it is uncertain which regional tradition or variant this puppet came from as there are some aspects of its design that do not match any of the primary varieties. The unusual height and uncommon pattern of articulation effectively eliminate all standard styles from common traditions, although based on the artistic design and materials it is most likely closely related to either of the Togalu gombeyaata or Tolu bommalatam traditions, it is most likely one of three possibilities: 1)made by someone in a culturally blended area that was not involved with any traditional troupes 2) it was made by someone who is just learning or who doesn't have access to as many materials, or 3) it may be a variant used for a specific scene in a show as this is a fairly common practice. While there is a chance this was made to sell to tourists or give to children, this is unlikely as it is made using a deeply traditional and often expensive technique while most of those made for tourists and children are made with other, cheaper materials such as paper or even plastics.
2	2004.8.2	Puppet	Indian shadow puppet depicting the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, likely would have been used in performances of the Ramayana. Figure is made of paper-thin, transparent animal hide (likely water buffalo) that has been dyed and painted. The head, hands, and feet resemble that of a monkey and the body is black with red and white details. The body also has a perforated design. "Hanuman" is written on a round name tag and attached to the neck of the puppet. Hanuman is wearing red, pink, and white patterned necklaces and shorts. A plain wooden rod runs down the center of the puppet and is attached using threat. Figure is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, and knees (this is an unusual pattern as Indian shadow puppets are generally not articulated in the knee and any that are are typically also articulated at the wrist). Character is about a foot tall, this is notable because most Indian puppets are much larger than this, with 2-4 feet tall being standard. There are several distinct styles of shadow puppetry in India, each with distinct traditions and aesthetics that reflect the regional culture they originate from. From these traditions, there can also be less common variations or even a blending where two or more traditions overlap, this can make it very difficult to distinguish with 100% certainty where a puppet originates from without a detailed provenance. As such, it is uncertain which regional tradition or variant this puppet came from as there are some aspects of its design that do not match any of the primary varieties. The unusual height and uncommon pattern of articulation effectively eliminate all standard styles from common traditions, although based on the artistic design and materials it is most likely closely related to either of the Togalu gombeyaata or Tolu bommalatam traditions, it is most likely one of three possibilities: 1)made by someone in a culturally blended area that was not involved with any traditional troupes 2) it was made by someone who is just learning or who doesn't have access to as many materials, or 3) it may be a variant used for a specific scene in a show as this is a fairly common practice. While there is a chance this was made to sell to tourists or give to children, this is unlikely as it is made using a deeply traditional and often expensive technique while most of those made for tourists and children are made with other, cheaper materials such as paper or even plastics.
3	2004.8.5	Puppet	Javanese shadow puppet, part of the wayang kulit tradition, made from thin pieces of animal hide, most likely water buffalo as that is the traditional material, with wooden sticks used for movement, and two different kinds of thread made of currently unknown material. Figure is an exaggerated humanoid with black skin, a long narrow nose, one long arm, and elaborate and colorful ornamentation that resembles flowers. The central figure of the puppet is held by one long, black stick which is curved in several places to follow the curves of the body and extends several inches past the bottom of the figure, this stick has one large notched ring followed by three smaller ones near the bottom of the figure and tapers to become more narrow at the top; it is attached to the figure with tan thread at five points along the body. One arm is missing having come unattached at the shoulder, the remaining arm is long enough to extend nearly to the bottom of the figure and has another, much smaller black stick which is attached at the hand with one piece of tan thread. The arm itself can be moved at two joints, one at the shoulder and elbow, each held together using black thread which has been tied into knots to allow movement without coming apart easily. The ornamentation includes what appears to be some kind of crown, a top consisting of ornamental cords leaving the chest mostly bare, and a bottom that looks like a long skirt with an upward curl, there is also ornamental jewelry around the ankles, upper arm, and wrist of the figure. The primary colors used in the ornamentation are blue, red, and gold with a few touches of green, the gold paint used has a metallic sheen. There are several small perforations in the leather in strategic areas that allow the character to show up more effectively in shows where the audience would only be able to see the black outline of the figure through a screen. The exact character represented is currently unknown as it appears to be a less often used figure based on current research, however, due to the very precise traditions of wayang kulit, there are some key aspects of the character that can be deduced. The character is likely male based on the shape of the skirt being worn, the lack of a structured top, the ornate crown without any visible hair. The ornateness and shapes of the outfit being worn by the figure also denote that this character was likely one of wealth or power as lower-status characters were often plain in appearance. Finally, the long and narrow nose, slanted eyes, gold colors, narrow body, and closeness of the feet in the stance denote that this character is likely refined in temperament and "good" in alignment and the downturned gaze reflects a humble demenor.
4	2004.8.6	Puppet	Large Javanese shadow puppet used for the practice of wayang kulit (shadow theater), the puppet is made of animal hide and depicts a male figure, approximately 2 feet tall (counting central control stick), and has two long articulated arms. There are three sticks attached to the puppet which can be used to manipulate it, the center stick is curved to match the form of the body and is attached at four points long the figure using tan thread with the exception of the bottommost connection which appears to have been redone at a later date using a different and more waxy material, this stick has a small ornamentation just below the foot and comes to a slight point at the end, the two used to manipulate the arms are smaller and simpler than the central stick and attached to the wrists with one wrist (the one on the side the figure is facing) using a small piece of tan string and the other using what appears to be the same material as the lowest attachment on the body but on the wrist it has been covered in a gold paint which does not match the level of wear present on the rest of the figure. The figure itself has exaggerated facial and features (long pointed nose, high flat forehead, thin torso, and long arms), gold-painted skin with a black-painted face, and ornate clothing and ornamentation (including a crown, jewelry around the ankles, wrists, and upper arms, and elegant curled skirt with triangular ornamental cord) which have been painted blue, white, red, and gold, however much of this pigment appears to have worn away and/or melded together. There are several small perforations covering the figure, these serve the double purpose of being ornamental and allowing light to shine through the figure to better depict the character. This figure most likely depicts the character of Rama, a reincarnation of Vishnu, the Hindu god of creation, who is venerated as an important deity for many Hindus, he is also the principal character in the Hindu epic the Ramayana which is a popular text to take stories from in wayang traditions. While there is a chance that this may not be Rama, wayang characters generally have a very specific set of characteristics that denote general personality traits and even more specific and subtle traits that distinguish between particular characters and this particular puppet matches up with many of the key characteristics present in other wayang depictions of Rama. The clothing, jewelry, colors, and shapes used all line up with those found on other depictions of Rama, but most importantly the crown (which consists of a high dome with several small overlapping points coming off of the side facing the front of his face and three large, petal-like pieces coming off down the figures back) is very similar to other depictions of the character, crowns and other head adornments are often the most consistent and recognizable way to differentiate between similar characters so this consistency is a good sign that this figure is indeed Rama.