Artist: Unknown Artist/Maker (German, 18Th Century)
Date: 1908
Museum: The Ethnographic Museum in Kraków (Kraków, Poland)
Technique: Leather
The islands of the vast Indonesian archipelago are the cradle of one of the richest theatrical and musical cultures. The diversity of performing arts comes from the traditions of individual islands as well as Indian, Chinese, Arab, and European influences all intertwining in a single place. Among the best known forms are different varieties of puppet theatre – shadow puppetry, called wayang kulit, and puppet theatre – wayang golek. They have become part of the national heritage and an important element of international promotion and cultural tourism. These arts are still alive and constantly evolving, taking on new shapes, combining tradition with modernity, and spreading to various fields of life – including tourism. Their elements can be found in the souvenir industry, which – as tourism kept growing – started borrowing motifs from the rich local tradition to promote the region. In 2003, the wayang theatre puppets were inscribed on the UNESCO world list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. One of the stipulations of this entry was the preservation of traditional and original forms of wayang – however, even without such imposition, the wayang theatre preserves its originality compared to other traditional forms of puppetry. The presented item of the week – a cigarette case – is an example of how colourful this culture is and how universal its motifs are. Made of leather, it has an openwork pattern depicting a character from the classical shadow theatre (wayang kulit). The colours and form hark back to traditional puppet-making techniques, which further proves the extraordinary talent of the artist. Intricately cut openwork patterns in leather, painted in various colours and often gilded, aren
Artist |
|
|---|---|
Download |
