:: Indonesian wooden puppets :: The Wayang Golek of West Java » 'The Carving Process'

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• Agus' carving process
• The wood used
• A history of wooden puppets in Indonesia

The process begins with a block of albasia wood sourced from local farmers and cut down to an approximate size. The character's main features are sketched out in biro before the carving starts.

After several hours of painstaking work the puppet head emerges, and in between bouts it is left in the sun to dry. Albasia, if not dried properly, can develop fungus which can make paint peel off later. After careful sanding, fine decorations such as the crown are carved and re-sanded.

Once the carving stage is complete, the hole in the base of the neck is burnt in with a red-hot iron, and this provides a home for the central rod as well as aiding the drying-out process. Agus uses an ordinary, white, oil-based emulsion diluted with thinner as a base coat - this not only acts as an effective wood-filler, but also helps subsequent coats to adhere.

Before the final coloured coats are applied - white for honest characters, red for evil, pink for wise men and light green or blue for heroes - the base emulsion is finely sanded for the last time. Lips, flowers and occasional jewelry are coloured red, as are the irises of angry characters. Blue is used for eyes and sapphires; fine black lines for eyebrows, moustaches and delicate wisps of hair. As is tradition among puppet carvers, Agus' wife Mariam dresses the puppets in their distinctive batik costumes.

Please see below for the complete carving process, from block of wood to finished item.

Stage 1.	Stage 2.	Stage 3.	Stage 4.	Stage 5.
Stage 6.	Stage 7.	Stage 8.	Stage 9.	Stage 10.
The finished head.	The finished head.	The finished head and body.	The finished couple.