Beaters for wayang kulit

This pair of wooden beaters would have been used by the 'dalang' (puppeteer) during a wayang kulit (shadow play) performance. The puppeteer would be seated cross-legged with a beater gripped between his toes. It would then be knocked against a wooden box at varying speeds to heighten the dramatic moments of a performance such as the battle scenes.Wayang kulit is one of the important dramatic forms of Bali. It is not only performed to mark temple ceremonies (odalan) and life cycles rites, but also, sometimes for exorcisms.