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Jakarta Post

Cleaning up Dupara puppets

Fri, November 3, 2017   /   03:53 pm
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    Some Dupara puppets, which are among the collection at Radya Pustaka Museum, are laid on the floor. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    A set of Wayang Gedog (Gedog puppets), presumably created in the 1940s, on display. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    The Dupara puppets are being cleaned. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    A list of the puppet collection at the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    A museum official brushes a Dupara puppet at the museum. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    Some officials clean Dupara puppets at the museum. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    A no entry sign is put up while officials are cleaning the Dupara puppets. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    A tourist takes a photo of the puppet collection at the Radya Pustaka Museum. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

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    Museum officials carry a wooden case containing Dupara puppets. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java, has recently cleaned its collection of shadow puppets, this process is known as ngisis wayang. There are a total of 121 Dupara shadow puppets, which are stored in a giant case. Each was cleaned carefully using a soft brush as they are already over 120 years old.

Museum head Bambang MBS said the ancient shadow puppets needed to be cleaned regularly, and it was impossible to showcase them in a performance.

The Dupara shadow puppets, according to numerous sources, were first created in 1894 by Danuatmojo, the nephew of Mangkunegara IV of the Mangkunegaran Court.

These Dupara shadow puppets are distinct from other types of puppet, because they tell historical stories of Javanese kingdoms from the Pajajaran, Majapahit to Kartasura and
Surakarta kingdoms. 

The word dupara means odd, and it refers to the oddness of the storyline and the shape of the shadow puppets, which are different from regular ones.

The first Dupara shadow puppets, which are stored at the museum, were quite small. They were crafted like any other shadow puppet but they were simpler. Most Dupara shadow
puppets were clamped with black buffalo horn, wood or bamboo.

Dupara puppets were exhibited several times at Indonesia Puppet Week in the 1960s and 1970s. After that, there were newer kinds of puppet.

The revitalizing of Dupara puppets is necessary to reintroduce the art, not only for Surakartans but also for Indonesian citizens. [yan]