Sep 03, 2016
Asep Sunandar's 61st Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today we celebrate what would be the 61st birthday of Asep Sunandar, one of the world’s most famous wayang golek masters. Wayang golek is a style of puppet theater that hails from Sunda, in the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. It’s an art form that takes years to master, and is an important piece of Sunda’s culture.
Wayang golek puppets are made of wood, and are controlled by rods that are connected to their hands and head. The wayang golek master is responsible for the entire show - he or she decides which story they will tell, most often an Indian epic story, and manages all of the wooden puppets’ movements and voices. Well over 10 characters can appear in each show!
Sunandar delighted audiences for years with his performances, which could last from dusk ‘til dawn. Our Google doodle features Sunandar performing with two wayang golek puppets.
Happy birthday, Asep Sunandar!
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