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Storytelling

Wayang Kulit

ꦮꦪꦁꦏꦸꦭꦶꦠ꧀Yogyakarta & Surakarta, Java · Indonesia

All-night Javanese shadow puppet theatre directed by a single dalang master behind a lit linen kelir screen with bronze gamelan orchestra.

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The tradition & historical record

1 min read · 14 cited sources

Behind a taut cotton screen lit by a coconut-oil blencong lamp, the dalang manipulates perforated buffalo-parchment figures while voicing dozens of characters, cueing the gamelan with a wooden cempala mallet. [1]

Performances draw from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and indigenous Panji cycles, weaving philosophical commentary and topical comedy from dusk until dawn. [2]

Transmission & Custody

Documented custodians and practitioner lineages: Kraton Ngayogyakarta & Surakarta Dalang Guilds.

Sources on Record
Sourced or Silent · Open Archival Questions

What is still undocumented in this room

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Active Practitioner Census
Current guild- or locality-level count of active masters and apprentices awaits a cited survey.
Field Audio & Notation
CC-licensed performance audio or rhythmic notation is not yet linked to this record.
Vernacular Bibliography
Regional-language monographs and local academy catalogues remain open for citation.

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