Title
Shadow puppet, Indrajit
Year/Period
1996
Region
Bali, Indonesia
Dimension
Object size: H 63.5 x W 21
Accession No.
1996-01522
Collection of
NLB Type
Cultural artefact
This puppet represents Indrajit, also known as Meghanada, from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana in the Balinese 'wayang kulit' or leather shadow puppet theatre tradition. He is the son of Rawana (Ravana).The Ramayana relates the struggle of Rama and his brother Laksmana (Lakshamana) in the rescue of his wife, Dewi Sita (Sita), from the ogre king Rawana.The majority of the 'wayang kulit' plays performed are drawn from the two great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as well as local stories. 'Wayang kulit' in Bali is like traditionally performed in temples, although today more likely to be viewed as entertainment for tourists.
