Shadow Puppet Theatre

Wayang is a generic term in Javanese for theater, and throughout the years there have been many variations of the activity with a number of differences between them. Of all the different types, Wayang Kulit is perhaps the best known, with the Indonesian Wayang Kulit having been designated as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet is a traditional theatre presentation shown during major festivals in Malaysia. Wayang Kulit is an old cultural entertainment using a shadow puppet theater—puppeteers control elaborate puppets behind a screen, while a source of light casts the puppets’ shadows on the screen. By moving the shadows around the screen while accompanied by a musical ensemble, the dalang (the master puppeteer and conductor) narrates the story and presents an intriguing performance.

The puppets of Wayang Kulit are usually made from leather, and the detailed props typically require weeks of careful work to produce. After drawing the rough outline on leather, the puppets are then carefully inspected, cut and prepared by a skilful craftsman. The puppets are then painted and lastly fitted with moving parts and sticks so that they can be manipulated during a performance.

Puppet shows in South East Asia is believed to have started in Indonesia around first century AD, introduced by traders from India as a form of cultural entertainment performed in festivals. For a time, the puppet shows featured Hindu classics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and was instrumental in spreading Hinduism across the Malay Archipelago. The puppet shows are believed to have eventually spread into Malaysia.

Wayang Kulit in Malaysia typically shows either local tales or ancient stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. 4 kinds of wayang kulit can be found in Malaysia, amongst them are Wayang Kulit Kelantan (oldest and most well-known kind of Wayang Kulit in Malaysia), Wayang Kulit Melayu (developed in the 19th and 20th centuries under the patronage of Malay aristocracy and royalty), Wayang Kulit Gedek (a Thai-inspired version and usually performed with a mix of Malay and Thai language) and the Wayang Kulit Purwa (meaning Ancient Puppet Play, it retains many of the features of the Indonesian Wayang Kulit).

Today, Wayang Kulit is commonly included in various large events and cultural festivals, such as handicraft exhibitions, city hall parades, Penang George Town Festival and others. The practice is also often featured at cultural centres and temples, where interest in this cultural heritage is still going strong.

Silat

The most recognizable group of martial arts of the region, silat has been established across South East Asia for hundreds of years, particularly in the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula. It was used as the primary form of military training by ancient kingdoms of the region such as Langkasuka, Srivijaya, Malacca, Majapahit and many more. Hundreds of different silat styles are known for both armed and unarmed combat.

Various legends surround the origins of silat. Some say that silat is said to be based on the movement of certain animals, while others believe that it was brought over by journeymen from other ancient kingdoms such as China or India.

Today, as many other forms of martial art, silat is practiced as a sport. As a notable Malay tradition, silat demonstrations are often featured in significant events and festivities, such as weddings, festivals and other joyous occasions. Silat performers can either perform solo or in groups, or display the graceful forms of silat with the accompaniment of live music by a music ensemble of traditional Malay instruments.

Gasing

The Malay version of the spinning top, a gasing nevertheless possesses many special characteristics to set it apart from its similar counterparts in other cultures. Traditionally made from wood harvested from trees in the region, the gasing can instantly be recognized by their distinctive design as well as their often smooth wooden finish. Gasings varies in size—some can easily weigh over 5 kilograms and are as wide as dinner plates!

Originally, gasing is a game often played during the harvesting season, where rival villages often compete against each other on whose gasing can spin the longest. Gasing is spun by quickly unfurling a rope that was tightly wound around the top. Gasing is a game that requires great skill—a master gasing player can keep the top spinning for over an hour!

A Traditional Horse Dance

Kuda Kepang is a trance dance that originated from Jawa, Indonesia. When Javanese immigrants arrived in Malaysia in the early 20th century, they brought Kuda Kepang along with them, adding the fascinating activity into Malaysia’s rich traditional culture. At the moment, Kuda Kepang is most popular in Johor, as the Javanese immigrants arrived and settled at southern Peninsula Malaysia after their journey from their homeland.

Kuda Kepang is usually performed by at least 9 dancers, or “pemain”, dressed in traditional Javanese attire and accompanied by a mock horse which is usually made from hide or rattan. The dancers tell a story through their movements and performance, accompanied by a musical ensemble consisting mainly of traditional instruments such as anklung, gendang, jidur and others. Kuda Kepang today usually tells the story of the Wali Songo or the Nine Saints -nine holy men who played a major part in spreading Islam to Java. The dance shows the battles and struggles these men endured in spreading their religion.

Believed to be once originated from a form of totemic worship, Kuda Kepang is a very spiritual activity—it is said to involve spirit possession, and it is common to find dancers entering a trance during the activity. The mock horse is believed to hold spirits that have been appeased pre-dance by a bomoh (a Malay shaman) as well. Sometimes during a Kuda Kepang session, audience may see the dancers perform incredible feats without getting hurt, such as enduring whips to their body, touching broken glass and even biting glass shards. It is said that sometimes the dancers will lose themselves in Kuda Kepang—when this happens, the dancer has to be restrained and tended to by a bomoh to recover. However these aspects of the dance are focused on less in modern times.

 As a significant cultural tradition in Johor, Kuda Kepang is often seen performed in other states as well. Kuda Kepang is also included in most major celebrations of Johor, such as the Johorean Government festivals, cultural displays and the Sultan of Johor’s birthday celebration.

At Best Batik, we sell only genuine hand drawn batik.

Batik drawing is the process of waxing and dyeing cloth by human hands using wax-resist and dye techniques. All the designs you find in Best Batik are uniquely drawn. They are painted in wax by hand with a tool known as the canting. The canting consists of a small copper cup on top of a wooden handle with a spout through which melted wax can flow out onto the cloth. Usually, the cloth is nailed onto a wooden frame according to the length of the cloth. Our Batik artists will then dip into the melted wax using the canting tool and begin drawing freely based on their creativity onto the cloth.

Once the artists have outlined the wax drawing, they start applying the dye. The core design of the batik will be painted with various colors. Usually, they start painting with the lightest colors towards the darkest colors onto the cloth. At last, the remaining spaces beside the core design will be applied with the same color through out the whole piece of cloth. When they are finished with the painting process, they put the fabric in boiling water and melt the wax off.

It is very easy to determine whether a batik is genuinely hand drawn. The color of genuine hand drawn batik will be exactly as vivid on both side of the cloth, whereas printed batik has only one side of the colorful drawings.