Wayang Kulit Show in France

Wayang Kulit or shadow puppet (leather puppet) show was not only held in London, England. In some European countries, like Netherlands, Spain and Italy have also held a shadow puppet show. As in France, the leather puppet show witnessed hundreds of city residents successfully held. The show  held at the lake, in a field of the city seen by all people.

It was a full moon night. The audience who had never seen shadow puppets  before were firstly  just come for their  curiousity. But then after a while watching the leather puppet, they even can enjoy  this one of Indonesia's high culture works.

Group puppet "Wilis Prabowo"  with  the chief Widodo that came at the invitation of the Indonesian ambassador to France does have a mission,  to introduce Indonesian culture in France. The puppet show, unfortunately  did not fully use French language, but the audience  not find it difficult to understand the story of the Ramayana through  some  dialogue translated in French.

Lailly En Val, France, was so enthusiastic about the show that is not common in the city.  Tthey came to an arena show at the lake in their  town.

This Shadow puppets  goup come from  Wonogiri, Central Java, was accidentally aswked Indonesian Embassy to introduce Indonesian culture.  Apart from performing wayang kulit this  java leather puppets group  also held a workshop, introduction and training of shadow puppets and Javanese gamelan at several schools and nursing homes. Such activities  got good enthisiasism from people around the school expressed appreciation , even some of them demonstrate their  skill by playing shadow puppets and gamelan.

Mayor Lailly en Val, Yves Fichou, along with members of the City Council, Claude Bourdin, and the Regional Council, Agnes Quatrehomme, expressed his appreciation at the closing of the cultural activities Wilis Prabowo shadow puppet group at City Hall. They expressed their appreciation to the Embassy in Paris and the group Wilis Prabowo wayang kulit shadow puppets were introduced, and gamelan musicians to city residents.

Souvenir of Wayang Kulit

As one of Indonesia's cultural heritage leather puppets which on November 7, 2003 has been recognized as a UNESCO cultural works, there are a variety of efforts to preserve the existence this work art by wayang kulit  lovers. In Yogyakarta, for example, we can get a shadow puppet for souvenirs in various forms. This souvenir is suitable for  your home or office interior decoration. If you are a fan of art, you have to get at least one form of puppet souvenir for your collection.

Beatiful for house interior

Souvenir of wayang kulit made ​​of buffalo leather and buffalo horn. Most craftsmen in Yogyakarta is a fan art of puppet who has been acquainted with the world of puppets since their childhood. So the puppet making business they are doing is actually a form of participation as well as to help preserve the art and culture of wayang kulit, so  that the younger generations will not  forget this  traditional arts and culture of Indonesia.

One of the craftsmen, Sagio the one of only a few Yogyakarta-style wayang kulit (leather shadow puppet) craftsmen who has managed to survive difficult times. He have learnt about shadow puppet craftsmanship from his father, when his age 11 years.  Sagio profoundly love  wayang throughout his entire life.

It’s wayang that has enabled him to tour the world to introduce the Indonesian art. But it’s also wayang that makes him feel sad and anxious. He  keep crafting wayang kulit because he love it. Wayang has helped him survive. So  now it’s his turn to preserve it.

Sagio lives in Gendeng hamlet in Bangunjiwo Kasihan, Yogyakarta. The village is known as a center of leather puppet makers. During the area’s wayang heyday between 1988 and 1997, more than 150 wayang makers could be found there. The hilly area teemed with tourists from Holland, France, America, Germany, Australia and Japan.

More About Wayang Orang

If we know wayang kulit (leather puppet) we will know that Wayang orang has many so many things in common with the wayang kulit. The story of both derived from the same book the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. And even the movements of wayang orang has so many similarity to wayang kulit. It because the actors imitate the leather puppets in costume and the movement. Wayang orang is also accompanied by gamelan orchestra.

At the first Wayang orang has been only shown to palace ceremonies. Large spectacles were staged, for example, in honour of the sultan’s coronation, or for weddings and birthdays. The performances had a deep symbolic meaning, and the hour of the spectacle and its plots were determined by the fact that the Sultan of Yogyakarta was identified with the Hindu god Vishnu.

Wayang orang in old time began early in the morning, when the sun, identified with Vishnu, appeared in the sky. The sultan sat on a holy throne, always facing east in the middle of the famous Golden Hall under the highest point of its pyramidical roof, symbolising the axis of the universe. The performance took place on a lower level in a smaller hall annexed to the magnificent Golden Hall. And due to the rule of Keraton, nobody was allowed to stand higher than the sultan. The Sultan or the King is the highest, and had absolute power.
The performances now days is very different. In past time, it could last several days, and the audience included not only members of the court but invited Dutch colonial representatives. Now, the duration of the performance could be very short 1 – 4 hours, depend on the needs and audiences.