Wayang is the Indonesian word for theater and Kulit means skin, referring to the buffalo leather used to make traditional puppets.

When Islam started to spread throughout Indonesia, the display of God or Gods in human form was prohibited, so the Wayang style of puppetry was suppressed.

Instead of showing the forbidden figures, the puppeteer only displayed the puppets shadows projected onto a screen lit by oil lamp.

Even though they are hidden behind a sheer screen, the puppets are highly decorated, often with brightly colored paints and shiny accents.

Light-colored sheet and a flashlight or a bright lamp (for performance).

If you want the arms and legs to move, cut them separately from the puppets body.

Place another popsicle stick to the body of the puppet for support.

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Firstly, the main characters are introduced along with the problem between the opposing sides and each side expresses its point of view.

The puppets made from animal skin are flat, and are seen in profile.You can see that the head, legs and feet all face the same direction but the upper torso is turned so that both shoulders can be seen, the arms are very long.

The puppets are decorated with details of facial features, head-dresses, jewellery and clothes.

They are painted with bright colours, as they may be used in daytime shows as well as shadow performances.

This is wider at the bottom where it has to stick in the banana log to keep the puppet upright.

The Puppet Show A white screen forms the stage for a shadow puppet show.

The puppeteer inserts the main rod from the puppets body into a banana log.

The puppets arms are hinged with small nails at the shoulders and elbows, and sticks are attached to the hands.

By moving the sticks, the puppeteer can make the puppets arms move up and down and in different directions, bringing the shadows to life.

The puppet on the left with the white face represents Abimanyu, a good character from the Mahabrharata.

The puppet on the right with the pink face, is a kasar, a bad character.

Wayang Kulit is probably the oldest form of shadow theatre in Indonesia and dates back to the mid 16th century.

Making the puppets The hide of a buffalo or goat is scraped thin and flat, then cured so it will not warp.

Using a template as a guide, the puppet maker scratches the outline, and guidelines for details into the hide.

He cuts the body free, and cuts separate pieces for the arms.

The details are punched using a wooden mallet and metal punches and chisels.

Puppets are finished with buffalo horn or bamboo stick handles.

The leather arms are hinged at the shoulders and elbows with metal, bone or bamboo studs, then attached to sticks for the dalang (puppeteer) to move.

Finally, the puppets are painted using traditional pigments or paint and gilt.

Stories Most shadow performances in Indonesia are based on two epic stories from India - the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

The Balinese and Javanese have combined these Hindu stories with Buddhist and Muslim ideas and their own folklore.

The stories illustrate the fight of good against evil through conflict between different forces, culminating in the triumph of the good forces and the destruction of evil.

Performances Javanese shadow performances aim to educate and entertain and take place in the royal courts and villages of central Java.

Balinese shows take place as part of temple celebrations or special events, where the performances aim to bless the occasion and bring good fortune.

Puppet shows can take place during the day or in the evening, when they are shadow shows.

Balinese Shadow Puppets