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Ki Manteb Soedharsono

Who is a Dalang! What is his job?

In short Dalang is a leather puppet (wayang) master who perform wayang kulit (shadow leather puppet) show. For the consiced reply, please click Wayang - Performance of Wayang Kulit, sub-title Dalang.

It is explained that Dalang is an expert to tell stories - some cultural experts say that Dalang is acronym from the words Dal abbreviation of Ngudal - to tell and Lang abbreviation of Piwulang - lesson or knowledge. So a Dalang is a person who has ability of teaching knowledge through wayang kulit performance. It is no doubt that a Dalang is an overall artist heaving a broad knowledge of several disciplines of Javanese arts.

Ki Manteb Soedharsono "Dalang Setan"

One of the most popular Dalang in this country is Manteb Soedharsono, the people call him Ki Manteb Soedharsono, showing appreciation to this respected friendly dalang in his fifties. Many people pridely call him Ki Manteb " Dalang Setan"/Devil Dalang. How could he has been given a nickname of Dalang Setan? Is he really a man with devil characteristic? Is he a very bad man? Or does he play the wayang skillfully with the help of devils? No, not at all! "Dalang Setan" is a spontaneous title given by his lightning speed in moving the wayang puppets on stage.

The first man called him "Dalang Setan" was the late Ret. Air - Marshall Boediardjo, ex-Minister of Information, a noted figure in the world of Javanese wayang. Ki Manteb was at first worried with this nickname as the word "Setan" has a bad connotation. But after a clean explanations by his fans, at last the famous dalang accepts whole heartedly this nickname "Dalang Setan".

Today, he is very busy to perform wayang kulit show everywhere around the country and even abroad, his wayang performances always attract a lot of people watching the whole night show, in the villages, different towns, various TV and Radio Stations, in the residents of dignitaries, high ranking government officials, and in the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia!!!

As he becomes a focus of attention, people start to be curious Who is really Ki Manteb Soedharsono? What is his background of expertise and further deeper which supposed to be personal matters - what kind of a man is he and how is his personal life? Well, that is the risk to be a public figure, he belong to the people at present. Ki Manteb hides nothing of his life, even his personal one. He is happy if others could learn something from him. Together with other people, the wayang and Javanese traditional culture aficionado, with all his heart and if necessarily with his own life, he would always preserve and develop this ancestor's culture for the glory of the nation.

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Ki Manteb [Homepage] - Joglosemar Online

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Ki Manteb Soedharsono Who is a Dalang! What is his job? In short Dalang is a leather puppet (wayang) master who perform wayang kulit (shadow leather puppet) show. For the consiced reply, please click Wayang - Performance of Wayang Kulit, sub-title Dalang.

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Indonesian puppet master () of Javanese kulit purwa ( shadow theatre). Coming from a dalang lineage, Dalang Manteb Soedarsono is son of the puppeteer Ki Hardjo Brahim Hardjowijoyo and his musician wife Ni Darti ( Ki is the epithet of respect accorded to a senior ).

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Last Updated on December 3, 2020 by Soumya

On my first trip to Bali, I noticed some interesting stick puppets. They were called Wayang Kulit or the Indonesian shadow puppets.

At first, I had no clue what these stick figures with leather/paper bodies represented. A little digging led me to the vast world of shadow puppetry in Indonesia and Bali. It was not only factually intriguing but showed me a whole different side of Balinese culture.

So, I could not help but share this exciting guide of Wayang Kulit of Indonesia which includes the following.

All about Indonesian shadow puppets history and intriguing facts.

Why is this shadow puppet theatre so special? (It is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage)

Where can you watch shadow plays in Indonesia especially in Bali?

Hoping that, at the end of this article, you will have a fair idea of what the Balinese shadow puppets or the Indonesian puppet theatre stands for.
Please note: This post may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link on this post. This will be at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links help me keep this website up and running. Thanks for your support!
Introduction to Indonesian shadow puppets

Indonesian shadow puppets made of leather on display at the Setia Darma puppet museum.

Shadow puppetry or shadow play has been a popular form of storytelling since ancient ages. It has had a long history in Asia especially in Southeast Asia, India, and China.

Shadow puppets of Indonesia are called Wayang Kulit. Wayang in local Bahasa means "shadow" and refers to the entire gamut of shadow plays in Indonesia. Kulit, on the other hand, means leather. The puppets are called Wayang Kulit because the puppet figures are usually made of leather.

What is the art of Wayang Kulit?

The art of Wayang Kulit is popular not only in Bali but across the whole of Indonesia. Puppet plays are often used to convey stories of God, impart morality lessons, or educate common man about good and evil.

It is not unusual for locals to host Wayang plays on birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Indonesian puppet theatres are pretty common across the country.

We can clearly see that shadow puppets do not just mean entertainment in Indonesia. They mean much more. They are part of daily routines and of the religious and social fabric of the country.

Wayang Kulit has developed into an Indonesian institution over centuries and is still quite popular because of its integration into the social fabric of the county.
See also: 11 Cultural institutions of Bali
Interesting facts about Indonesian shadow puppets

Wayang puppets are 2D. They are made of leather or even paper nowadays. The piece of leather is perforated and elaborately painted to represent various characters.

Shadow puppets in Indonesia usually have two bamboo sticks attached to them so that they can be moved easily. A puppeteer controls their performance behind a screen of white cotton or unbleached muslin.

There is a light source behind the screen that casts the shadows. Puppets can be moved closer to or farther from the light to create various effects and poses.

The chief puppeteer is called a "dalang" and he manipulates the sticks to breathe life into the puppets behind the screen. He is also the narrator and uses various voices to convey different dialogues.

The dalang commands great respect in society and is expected to know and recite a number of moral stories and historical anecdotes.

Wayang shows in Indonesia are often accompanied by songs and music played on gamelan drums.

A typical Wayang play begins late in the evening and goes all the way until dawn.

See also: How to experience the use of gamelans in a traditional Kecak fire dance in Bali?
History of Wayang Kulit Indonesia

There are competing theories about how Wayang Kulit landed in Indonesia. Some say it was from India, some talk about China, and others think it was indigenous to the islands of Indonesia.

However, the Indian origin theory holds greater sway over the others. According to Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Wayang Kulit had its origins in the leather-based puppets of South India known as Tholu Bommalata.

The practice of conveying social messages through puppet shows spread via the India-Indonesian trade routes at the same time as Hinduism. Maybe, that is the reason why Indonesian Wayang plays usually present stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great epics of the Hindu literature.

State of Indonesian puppet theatre today

A traditional shadow puppet play in progress.
Picture Credits - Pixabay Creative Commons

The Wayang Puppet Theatre of Indonesia was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008.

The theatre is still popular in Indonesia especially on the island of Bali. Huge influx of tourists has kept it going.

Even today, the job of a Dalang or the master puppeteer is highly sought-after. It is not uncommon to have well-paid Dalangs across the islands and rightfully so. The skills and abilities that a good Dalang possesses can be quite hard to find.

Apart from Wayang Kulit, there are a number of other types that form part of the Wayang Puppet Theatres. For example, Wayang Topeng - humans wearing masks and Wayang Gedong - 3D wooden rod puppets are also well-liked.

Where to watch Wayang Kulit in Indonesia?

Watching a Wayang Kulit play or just engaging with the creators of Indonesian shadow puppets can be an enriching cultural experience. I would highly recommend experiencing it when you are traveling in Indonesia.

The islands of Java and Bali are two popular places to get your dose of Wayang. Read on to find out.

Shadow puppets and plays in Bali

When traveling in Bali, you will discover several cultural aspects of Indonesia. Beautiful Balinese temples, mesmerizing dance forms, and enticing art.

Among them is the famous art of Balinese shadow puppets which you can enjoy even if you are visiting Bali on a budget. Even better if you are traveling to Bali with kids. Watching a traditional puppet show together can be so much fun.

Wayang Kulit shadow plays are quite popular in Bali. They are held at a number of places including the cultural center of Ubud. Check with your hotels and homestays for performances nearby.

Bali's puppet museum - A hidden treasure

I did not get a chance to watch a shadow play in Bali but I was lucky enough to visit the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets in Sukawati,a 15-min drive from Ubud city center. It is quite a hidden gem and not many people know about it.

Setia Darma houses more than 1300 masks and 5700 puppets from all over the Indonesian archipelago, Africa, China, Japan, and many other countries.

Wayang puppets are in majority. You will find them displayed inside traditional Javanese houses called " joglo" surrounding a huge Balinese courtyard.

Entry to the museum is free but a donation is encouraged. Opening hours are 8am - 4pm.

Setia Darma Museum in Bali is a good place to get initiated to the world of Indonesian shadow puppets.

Wayang shows elsewhere in Indonesia

You can learn more about Wayang shadow puppets at Indonesia's Wayang Museum, among the many interesting things to do in Jakarta. Google Arts & Culture has a virtual tour if you are keen.

Wayang Kulit plays are also pretty common in Yogyakarta. So if you are planning a trip to Yogyakarta, you can watch a show there too.

We can all help to promote this age-old art form by doing our little bit. Remember to watch a shadow play in Indonesia. Team it with the fascinating Kecak fire dance and you have the best cultural experience in Bali.

Loved our post on Wayang Kulit of Indonesia? Pin it for later reference!

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Wayang Kulit - The Indonesian Shadow Puppets - Stories by Soumya

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Last Updated on December 3, 2020 by Soumya On my first trip to Bali, I noticed some interesting stick puppets. They were called Wayang Kulit or the Indonesian shadow puppets. At first, I had no clue what these stick figures with leather/paper bodies represented.

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Wayang Kulit, an Indonesian form of shadow puppetry, holds the audience's attention with riveting storylines executed masterfully by the dhalang, or puppeteer. The puppets are made of buffalo hide and intricately designed, down to the most minute detail of costume and color, to help the audience distinguish between the different characters.

The dhalang tells the stories of kings, princesses, ogres, and knights, using deft hand movement and narration. While traditional performances used cotton sheets and oil lamps to create the play of light, electric bulbs or other sources of light are used today. Many of the plots draw from episodes seen in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Wayang Kulit was declared a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.

In advance of Asia Society's presentation of wayang kulit on Saturday, we spoke to Rachel Cooper, Asia Society's director of Global Performing Arts and Special Cultural Initiatives, about this unique art form.
How popular is Wayang Kulit as an art form today? Has the form had an influence beyond Indonesia?
Shadow puppetry has been popular in various parts of the world, including China, India, and Turkey, but it has reached an extraordinary level in Java. It is usually performed in an eight to nine hour performance that goes all night.

Wayang kulit combines deep spiritual meaning, entertaining storytelling, extraordinary musicality (both in the gamelan and vocals), deep philosophical messages, current political commentary, and bawdy humor. It is one of the most complete art forms, with everything in the hands of the dhalang. A good dhalang is indeed a celebrity who commands a high fee and can perform in front of audiences as large as 6 or 7,000 people.
What are some of the distinctive features of a performance that differentiate it from other forms of puppetry?
Javanese shadow puppetry involves distinctive puppets that are art works in themselves. The gamelan orchestra is comprised of between 20 and 40 musicians and is made up of bronze instruments - gongs, metalaphones, strings, and vocals. It is one of the great art forms as it combines ancient stories, mystical mantras, and topical commentary.

In 2012, Asia Society presented a wayang kulit performance by Ki Purbo Asmoro. Click here to watch part one of this performance, and here for part two. In the below clip, the wayang kulit features an appearance by none other than Barack Obama who, of course, spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.

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Wayang Kulit: Indonesia's Extraordinary Shadow Puppetry Tradition

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Asia Society's Rachel Cooper explains what makes the ancient Javanese art form so unique.

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Wayang kulit puppet show at Museum Sonobudoyo (Yogyakarta, Inbonesia)

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Wayang kulit

Originating era

Hindu-Buddhist civilisations

( Javanese: ꦮꦪꦁ​ꦏꦸꦭꦶꦠ꧀) is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil (or electric) light. The (shadow artist) manipulates carved leather figures between the lamp and the screen to bring the shadows to life. The narratives of wayang kulit often have to do with the major theme of good vs. evil.

Wayang kulit is one of the many different forms of theatre found in Indonesia; the others include wayang beber, wayang klitik, wayang golek, wayang topeng, and wayang wong. Wayang kulit is among the best known, offering a unique combination of ritual, lesson and entertainment.

On November 7, 2003, UNESCO designated Wayang the flat leather shadow puppet ( wayang kulit), the flat wooden puppet ( wayang klitik), and the three-dimensional wooden puppet (wayang golek) theatre, as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In return for the acknowledgment, UNESCO required Indonesians to preserve the tradition.

The term wayang is the Javanese word for " shadow" or "imagination". Its equivalent in Indonesian is bayang. In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary, wayang can refer to the puppet itself or the whole puppet theatre performance. Kulit means " skin" or " leather", the material from which the figures are carved.

A wayang kulit performance accompanied by a gamelan orchestra, between 1862 and 1872

Wayang is the traditional puppet theatre of Indonesia. It is an ancient form of storytelling known for its elaborate puppets and complex musical styles. The earliest evidence of wayang comes from medieval-era texts and archeological sites dating from the late 1st millennium CE. There are four theories concerning where wayang originated (indigenous to Java; Java-India; India; and China), but of these, two are more favored: Java and India.

Regardless of its origins, states Brandon, wayang developed and matured into a Javanese phenomenon. There is no true contemporary puppet shadow artwork in either China or India with the sophistication, depth, and creativity expressed in wayang in Java, Indonesia.

Indigenous origin in Java

According to academic James R. Brandon, the puppets of wayang are native to Java. He states wayang is closely related to Javanese social culture and religious life, and presents parallel developments from ancient Indonesian culture, such as gamelan, the monetary system, metric forms, batik, astronomy, wet rice field agriculture, and government administration. He asserts that wayang was not derived from any other type of shadow puppetry of mainland Asia, but was an indigenous creation of the Javanese. Indian puppets differ from wayang, and all wayang technical terms are Javanese, not Sanskrit. Similarly, some of the other technical terms used in the wayang kulit found in Java and Bali are based on local languages, even when the play overlaps with Buddhist or Hindu mythologies.

G. A. J. Hazeu also says that wayang came from Java. The puppet structure, puppeteering techniques, storytelling voices, language, and expressions are all composed according to old traditions. The technical design, the style, and the composition of the Javanese play grew from the worship of ancestors.

Kats argues that the technical terms come from Java and that wayang was born without the help of India. Before the 9th century, it belonged to the Javanese. It was closely related to religious practices, such as incense and night / wandering spirits. Panakawan uses a Javanese name, different from the Indian heroes.

Kruyt argues that wayang originated from shamanism, and makes comparisons with ancient archipelago ceremonial forms which aim to contact the spirit world by presenting religious poetry praising the greatness of the soul.

The movement of the Javanese across Maritime Southeast Asia right up to the 20th century has also spread art form beyond its insular origin; this may come directly performed in areas where many Javanese settled such as western Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia, or indirectly integrating local elements, such as the Wayang Kulit Kelantan performed in Kelantan north of the Peninsular where Kelantanese dalang was said to have learned from original masters themselves in Java.

Blencong, a Javanese oil lamp in the form of the mythical Garuda bird for wayang kulit performances, before 1924

Origin in India

Hinduism and Buddhism arrived on the Indonesian islands in the early centuries of the 1st millennium, and along with theology, the peoples of Indonesia and the Indian subcontinent exchanged culture, architecture, and traded goods. Puppet arts and dramatic plays have been documented in ancient Indian texts, dating to the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE and the early centuries of the Common Era. Further, the eastern coastal region of India ( Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu), which most interacted with Indonesian islands, has had traditions of intricate, leather-based puppet arts called tholu bommalata, tholpavakoothu, and rabana chhaya, which share many elements with wayang.

Some characters such as the Vidusaka in Sanskrit drama and in wayang are very similar. Indian mythologies and characters from the Hindu epics feature in many major wayang plays, which suggests possible Indian origins, or at least an influence in the pre-Islamic period of Indonesian history. Jivan Pani states that wayang developed from two art forms from Odisha in eastern India: the Ravana Chhaya puppet theatre and the Chhau dance.

The oldest known record concerning wayang is from the 9th century. Old Javanese (Kawi) inscriptions called Jaha Inscriptions, dating from around 840 CE and issued by Maharaja Sri Lokapala from the Mataram Kingdom in Central Java, mention three sorts of performers: atapukan ( lit.  ' mask dance show '), lit.  ' aringgit ('), and / lit. wayang puppet show   ' joke art abanwal '). abanol ( Ringgit is described in an 11th-century Javanese poem as a leather shadow figure.

In 903 CE, the Mantyasih inscription (Balitung charter) was created by King Balitung of the Sanjaya dynasty of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom. They state, " Si Galigi Mawayang Buat Hyang Macarita Bimma Ya Kumara", which means 'Galigi held a puppet show for gods by taking the story of Bima Kumara'. It seems certain features of traditional puppet theatre have survived from that time. Galigi was an itinerant performer who was requested to perform for a special royal occasion. At that event, he performed a story about the hero Bhima from the Mahabharata.

Palm leaves manuscript of kakawin Arjunawiwaha is written by Mpu Kanwa in 1035 CE

Mpu Kanwa, the poet of Airlangga's court of the Kahuripan kingdom, writes in 1035 CE in his (narrative poem) Arjunawiwaha, " santoṣâhĕlĕtan kĕlir sira sakêng sang hyang Jagatkāraṇa", which means, "He is steadfast and just a wayang screen away from the 'Mover of the World'." As kĕlir is the Javanese word for the wayang screen, the verse eloquently compares actual life to a wayang performance where the almighty Jagatkāraṇa (the mover of the world) as the ultimate dalang (puppet master) is just a thin screen away from mortals. This reference to wayang as shadow plays suggested that wayang performance was already familiar in Airlangga's court and wayang tradition had been established in Java, perhaps even earlier. An inscription from this period also mentions some occupations such as awayang and aringgit.

Wayang kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. The puppets are crafted from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen. The plays are typically based on romantic tales and religious legends, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, the Mahabharata, and the . Some of the plays are also based on local stories like Panji tales.

Gunungan in Javanese wayang kulit performance, marked the opening and the separations between scenes. The perforated wayang creates an exquisite shadow.

The wayang comes in sizes from 25 cm to 75 cm. The important characters are usually represented by several puppets each. The wayang is usually made out of water buffalo and goat hide and mounted onto bamboo sticks. However, the best wayang is typically made from young female buffalo parchment, cured for up to ten years. The carving and punching of the rawhide, which is most responsible for the character's image and the shadows that are cast, are guided by this sketch. A mallet is used to tap special tools, called tatah, to punch the holes through the rawhide. Making the wayang sticks from the horn is a complicated process of sawing, heating, hand-molding, and sanding until the desired effect is achieved. When the materials are ready, the artist attaches the handle by precisely molding the ends of the horn around the individual wayang figure and securing it with thread. A large character may take months to produce.

There are important differences between the three islands where wayang kulit is played (due to local religious canon).

In Java (where Islam is predominant), the puppets (named ringgit) are elongated, the play lasts all night and the lamp (named blencong) is, nowadays, almost always electric. A full gamelan with (pe)sinden is typically used.

In Bali (where Hinduism is predominant), the puppets look more realistic, the play lasts a few hours, and, at night, the lamp uses coconut oil. Music is mainly by the four-gender wayang, with drums only if the story is from the . There are no sinden. The dalang does the singing. Balinese dalangs are often also priests ( amangku dalang). As such, they may also perform during daylight, for religious purposes ( exorcism), without a lamp and screen ( wayang sakral, or " lemah")

In Lombok (where Islam is predominant and Bali's influence is strong), vernacular wayang kulit is known as wayang sasak, with puppets similar to Javanese ringgits, a small orchestra with no , but flutes, metallophones and drums. The repertoire is unique to the island and is based on the Muslim Menak Cycle (the adventures of Amir Hamzah).

In the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, members of Javanese diaspora communities continued the art form from the nineteenth century, until the death of Nek Ichang, the island's dalang (puppeteer) in 1949. Examples of the wayang kulit are in the collection of Pulu Cocos Museum and were featured on a set of Australian $1 and $2 stamps in 2018.

Wayang kulit is played by children in Jakarta.

The stage of a wayang performance includes several components. A stretched linen canvas ( kelir) acts as a canvas, dividing the dalang (puppeteer) and the spectator. A coconut oil lamp (Javanese blencong or Balinese damar) - which in modern times is usually replaced with electric light - casts shadows onto the screen. A banana trunk (Javanese gedebog, Balinese gedebong) lies on the ground between the screen and the dalang, where the figures are stuck to hold them in place. To the right of the dalang sits the puppet chest, which the dalang uses as a drum during the performance, hitting it with a wooden mallet. In a Javanese wayang kulit performance, the dalang may use a cymbal-like percussion instrument at his feet to cue the musicians. The musicians sit behind the dalang in a gamelan orchestra setting. The gamelan orchestra is an integral part of the Javanese wayang kulit performance. The performance is accompanied by female singers () and male singers ( wirasuara).

Wayang kulit performance.

The setting of the banana trunk on the ground and the canvas in the air symbolizes the earth and the sky; the whole composition symbolizes the entire cosmos. When the dalang animates the puppet figures and moves them across the screen, divine forces are understood to be acting in the hands with which he directs the happening. The lamp is a symbol of the sun as well as the eye of the dalang.

A traditional wayang kulit performance begins after dark. The first of the three phases, in which the characters are introduced and the conflict is launched, lasts until midnight. The battles and intrigues of the second phase last about three hours. The third phase of reconciliation and friendship is finished at dawn.

Wayang shadow plays are usually tales from the two major Hindu epics, the and Mahabharata. The puppet master contextualizes stories from the plays, making them relevant to current community, national, or global issues. Gamelan players respond to the direction of the dalang.

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Wayang kulit Originating era Hindu-Buddhist civilisations ( Javanese: ꦮꦪꦁ​ꦏꦸꦭꦶꦠ꧀) is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil (or electric) light.

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Live Wayang Ki Manteb Soedharsono "Amarta Binangun" HUT Bank Jateng Ke 58 Bt Gareng Semarang.

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Wayang Kulit  Traditional shadow puppet theatre