Masks—Indonesia, Javanese
Java has a strong tradition of the cultural use of face masks. Probably ritual in origin, today they are important in many traditional styles of drama, while their carving is a major Javanese folk art
The Javanese term topeng (from a root meaning "to cover up") refers to all face masks, whether for performance, ceremonies, or decoration. While masks for ritual exist in other parts of Indonesia, in Java and Bali masks are principally associated with theatrical performance and are also collected as objets d'art. Javanese masks are carved from a single block of wood and then painted. Performance masks are either gripped between the performer's teeth by means of a strap attached to the inner surface, or held on with a string passing over a headdress.
Javanese masks are differentiated according to well-established types closely related to the characterization of wayang kulit (shadow puppets), and dance types from wayang wong (court ballet). Characters are either halus (refined), gagah (strong), clowns, or ogres. Halus character masks have pointed noses and narrow eyes, while gagah masks have round eyes and prominent noses. Some clown characters are represented by half masks, allowing actors wearing them to speak more freely. Female characters normally fall within the halus type. As with Javanese shadow puppets, there are regional variations, and details of eye shape, face color, and nose and mouth representation represent distinctions between characters.
While some craftsmen still specialize in carving and painting performance masks, many cruder masks are produced as tourist souvenirs and for interior decoration.
Masks are used in folk-theater, but their use in classical theater is now more common in Bali than in Java. In some modern forms of dance-drama such as sendratari (the "Ramayana ballet" developed in the 1960s), masks are used only for nonhuman characters. Classical masked dances also exist in Java, dances such as the klana topeng gagah, in which a male dancer represents an ogre king. There are traditional theatrical forms (topeng pajengan) in which a single performer represents a number of characters by using different masks, a feat requiring dexterity and skill.
Many dancers specializing in masked performance spend considerable time with new masks, even wearing them around their houses to get the feel of the new character inhabiting the mask.
The concept of masked theater is still strong today in the work of avant-garde theater groups and choreographers, while a growing number of dealers in Indonesia and overseas provide support for the craft of mask-making.
Further Reading
Yousouf, Ghulam-Sarwar. (1994) Dictionary of Traditional South-East Asian Theatre. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press.
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