Lot 723: A Vintage Hand-Carved Wooden Wayang Golek Rod Puppet
A vintage hand-carved wooden wayang golek rod puppet, of the type traditional to West Java, Indonesia. The figure represents a female noble character or princess from the classical epic cycles. The puppet features a hand-painted white face with delicate features and a multi-coloured ornate jamang crown. The torso and articulated arms are finished in gold-toned paint. The costume is composed of a red velvet bodice and epaulettes, embellished with yellow embroidery and gold-toned sequins, paired with a traditional batik-patterned fabric sarong in shades of brown, cream, and deep red. Two dark-stained wooden control rods are attached to the hands with twine for performance manipulation. A small white rectangular paper inventory tag is adhered to the upper chest, bearing the handwritten characters LE258 in black ink. No other maker’s marks or manufacturer labels are visible on the piece.
Condition report:
The puppet is in fair to good condition. There is a visible accumulation of surface dust and lint on the red velvet sections of the costume (photo 1). The gold-toned paint on the wooden arms shows scattered scuffing and minor paint loss, most notably at the articulated joints (photo 1). The batik fabric sarong is intact but exhibits minor age-related fading to the pigments (photo 2). The wooden control rods remain securely attached to the hands (photo 2).
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