Wooden mask of King Klana

This is a red ‘topeng’ (mask) of a man with eyes wide open, a long nose and a moustache made of human hair. This mask represents the proud King Klana, thought to have been a foreign king who posed a threat to the 12th century capital of Kediri in East Java. He is one of the many characters that appear in the ‘wayang topeng’ (masked dance) tradition. This is one of the oldest of the Indonesian performing arts, dating back to the early 16th century. It is said to have been introduced by one of the nine ‘wali sanga’ (Islamic saints) along the north coast of Java, where wayang topeng retains a strong presence.

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Gold wayang topeng mask of King Klana

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