religious/ritual equipment
- Museum number
- As.7183
- Description
-
Ritual figure in shadow puppet style representing a soldier or knight from the Panji story cycle. Character type is possibly Bala or Rewang. Ritual object made of plant fibre, painted surface, coconut wood support rod, horizontal bamboo stiffener at bottom, plant fibre bindings.
- Production date
- 1700s(late)-1800s(mid)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 87 centimetres
-
Weight: 597 grammes
-
Width: 37.40 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
A single registration Slip refers to a "Wayang figure of painted parchment and stiffened bamboo ground." Original provemance "Java" deleted, and "Bali" added. Acquisition source "Haslar" is noted, with additional note "labelled 'Raffles' colln ?". The Christy Register refers firstly to the Wayang figure, with provenance "Java", and secondly to "Another Slip: Scenic shadow or puppet representing warrior with double-bladed dagger. Labelled 'Raffles Collection'."
These appear to be the same item; perhaps collected by Sir Stamford Raffles and later acquired by Haslar Hospital. (For other Haslar material in Ethnography Department, see collection 1855,1220 and varios Christy "Four Figure" items).
(AMD,3/1997).
-
Comments from Nyoman Sedana during a visit on 20 June 2014:
This is a ritual object from Bali, not a shadow puppet. The figure is depicted wearing high-class clothing and stands on ornate foliate and stone ground, his skin is painted to show a moderate amount of body hair which suggests he represents a seductive character. The painting is traditional Kamasan style. The handle is made from seseh, old coconut wood, which is extremely hard and durable, often used in housebuilding as it cannot be eaten by termites.
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- As.7183
- Additional IDs
-
CDMS number: As????C1.7183 (old CDMS no.)
