This exhibit features characters from two of Indonesia’s expressive cultural traditions: wayang kulit (shadow puppets) and wayang golèk (rod puppets). Puppet shows are enjoyed by adults and children, and their stories are drawn from the mythologies of diverse cultural traditions in Southeast Asia. Wayang are highly stylized and intricately fashioned. Though painted, shadow puppets’ forms are created through tiny perforations. This exhibit is curated in part by Loyola’s Department of Anthropology Museum Studies internship course and features wayang from the May Weber Ethnographic Collection. 

Credit: Wayang, 20th Century, Java, Indonesia, May Weber Collection, Loyola University Chicago. Photo courtesy of Julie Calcagno.