Crafts and the visual arts/ Contents

Puppetry

Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof

There is one major form of puppet theatre, the shadow play (Wayang Kulit), active among Malay communities in the Peninsula, but no puppetry of any kind in Sabah or Sarawak. Different styles of Wayang Kulit share commonalities and each has been influenced by other significant cultures. The appearance and colours of traditional puppet characters are symbolic and depict ancient epics. Today, more modern styles and story lines are evolving to reflect new trends in Malay society.

  • Information in the full article includes
  • Wayang Kulit in Malaysia
  • Modern shadow puppetry
  • Sirih sets
Wayang Kulit Purwa

Puppet from Wayang Kulit Purwa, a style of shadow play originating from Java and believed to be the oldest form in Southeast Asia and influencing Wayang Kulit Siam in its early stages.