Amreet Kular
In 2016, the world’s largest collection of over 20 000 Indonesian shadow theatre puppets and paraphernalia was donated to the Yale University Art Gallery. The collection was amassed by Swiss primatologist Dr. Walter Angst (1942-2014) and its purpose is to document the different regional styles in shadow puppet theatre throughout Indonesia. Angst was a methodical collector, mostly acquiring entire puppet sets rather than individual puppets. He took detailed provenance and informational notes about the puppets, which were donated with the collection. Though the tradition is thought to have started with depicting Hindu stories, shadow puppet theatre is not static. It evolves over time, hence the appearance of new styles, new stories, new materials, new puppets and old puppets being reused in innovative ways to tell contemporary stories.
The breadth of the gallery’s collection provided an interesting opportunity to survey the different materials and styles that exist in Indonesian shadow puppet theatre. Traditionally, the puppets were made from water buffalo rawhide and the control rods were carved from water buffalo horn. The puppets were painted with dry pigments mixed with ancur, a wood shaving binder. Gilding was applied to the important characters. Over time and in different areas across Indonesia, the materials changed. Cheaper cardboard and wooden control rods were substituted for the expensive water buffalo materials. Artists selected readily available acrylic paints as replacements for the more time-consuming and expensive process of creating their own pigments. Some artists created metal puppets, while rudimentary puppets were fashioned from grasses in the fields. The variations in style and materials highlight the significant role of the puppet artist in bringing a story to life. In addition to the appearance of the puppet, the dhalang’s, or puppeteer’s, performance is also crucial for bringing vitality to the puppets and the story.
The style and material variations of the shadow theatre puppets affect conservation decisions. An issue amongst many of the rawhide puppets is delaminating paint and gilding, caused by relative humidity fluctuations that caused the rawhide to expand and contract, thereby stressing the decorated surface. Selecting a consolidant with an appropriate strength and appearance is necessary when treating these puppets. In addition, the question of what constitutes dirt on an indigenous object is revisited when faced with decisions regarding cleaning. Puppets were continually being damaged during performances and subsequently repaired to allow them to be used again. Evidence of damages and repairs actually increases the perceived value of a puppet because it indicates that it was well-used. Therefore, a conservator must avoid removing dirt or adhesive residues that indicate repair and use. However, depending on the style, in some cases the presence of dirt or coatings can be damaging and can obscure the true appearance of the puppet. In these cases, more interventive cleaning is necessary to reveal the puppet and prevent future damage. The intention of conserving the puppets is to protect both their physical integrity and the intangible qualities relating to their use in performances.