Wayang Topeng Mask - Indonesia - Java - Mid 20th Century #724

Painted wood - traces of carrying and patina on the back - small wear, shocks, small crack on the back. Wayang Topeng belongs to Indonesian culture and more precisely Javanese. It is a 17th century theatrical tradition linked to ancestor worship. Wayang means: Show and Topeng: Mask. It takes different names and forms depending on whether it is produced in Java, Bali or other regions, Wayang Topeng tells great Indian epics: the love stories of Kings and Princes, the turpitudes of the divinities, the fight between good and evil. The audience must understand that it is thanks to reflection and wisdom that good ends up triumphing. The eye openings are fine, so the actor's vision is very narrow and he must feel his environment and adapt his movements to evolve in harmony.