Java, 20th century A set of three Wayang... - Lot 359 - SGL Enchères - Frédéric Laurent de Rummel et Peggy Savidan

Java, 20th century A set of three Wayang Gorek-style rod puppets with removable heads and torsos made of carved and painted wood, one rod being inserted at the base of the torso and covered with a long skirt; the articulated arms also have rods at hand level. One of the puppets, topped with a high red and gold tiara, is believed to be King Sujudana, as indicated by the name inscribed on the central rod. The blue-faced head is presumably the god Krishna; the third head, crowned, could be Arjuna or Karna, two other important figures in the Bhagavad Gîtâ, the central part of the great Indian epic poem, the Mahabaratha. The Mahabaratha and the Ramayana are the two main sources from which the themes of the wayang, or "shadow theatre", a traditional and popular performance in Indonesia, are drawn. H. ca. 60-70 cm (without the rods) (Wear and tear, small accidents and missing parts, one arm to be reattached)