Busacca Gallery

This is a fantastic life size rare solid black bronze statue, it is a beautiful antique Java Balinese Indonesian mask of a deity. it could be as old as 18th century. There are many characters in the traditional dance dramas of Java. This would be a minor deity. As a character of the Babakan Topeng, he is played in a series of Javanese solo dances. One can also find him in Gambuh, where he embodies Panji’s worst ennemy. Klana would be the Javanese equivalent of the Balinese Ravana from Wayang Wong, as they are both violent and angry. Created for use with eye slits, nose and mouth perforations for the performer. The Topeng dance originated in the 15th century in Bali and Java.   “The mask is in good vintage condition. It contains minor surface wear commensurate with use and some oxidation. Please review the photographs to determine the condition.” It is believed that the use of masks is related to the cult of the ancestors, which considered dancers the interpreters of the gods. Topeng performances open with a series of non-speaking masked characters which may not be related to the story to be performed. These traditional masks often include Topeng Manis (a refined hero), Topeng Kras (a martial, authoritarian character), and Topeng Tua (an old man who may joke and draw-out the audience). The story is narrated from a Penasar, a jawless half-mask that enables the actor to speak most clearly. In group topeng, there are usually two penasars providing two points of view. The performance alternates between speaking and non-speaking characters, and can include dance and fight sequences as well as special effects (sometimes provided by the gamelan). It is almost always wrapped-up by a series of comic characters introducing their own views. The narrators and comic characters frequently break western conventions of storytelling by including current events or local gossip to get a laugh. In topeng, there is a conscious attempt to include many, sometimes contradictory, aspects of the human experience: the sacred and the profane, beauty and ugliness, refinement and caricature. A detailed description and analysis of "topeng pajegan," the one-man form of topeng, is available in Masked Performance by John Emigh, a western theater professor who has become a performer of Balinese topeng. Transcript of Indonesian Mask Theater (Topeng) Lessons and Stories The stories used in traditional Topeng are mostly used to chronicle the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, amoung other sources. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East, South Asia and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures. What is Topeng? Topeng (Indonesian for "mask") is a dramatic form of Indonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing, ornately-costumed performers interpret traditional narratives concerning fabled kings, heroes and myths, accompanied by gamelan music. Topeng appeared in 15th century in Bali and Java, where it is still prevalent today, but it can also be found in other islands of Indonesia. Topeng dance originated from tribal dances held in the honor of ancestors, where dancers with masks were playing roles of messengers of gods. Topeng dance is usually performed for “Odalan which is a temple anniversary celebration, along with a myriad of other rituals. Topeng begins with appearance on the stage by characters that may not be related to the story. They all wear masks. Characters of noble background wear masks that cover the whole face and they do not talk at all. Masks are the one that define a character but they are also defined by a character. Characters of noble backgrounds wear beautiful white or golden masks while a half mask of jesters is more grotesque. There are also masks of demons and animals that share common animalistic features and there are masks of gods. From the 7th century CE , the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it. The last significant non-Muslim kingdom, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom, flourished from the late 13th century, and its influence stretched over much of Indonesia. The earliest evidence of Islamised populationsin Indonesia dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra; other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. Europeans arrived in the 16th century There are three principal shapes of mask: those that recover the entire face, the half-mask (allowing the actor to speak) and the mini masks (used principally for clown characters). In Bali, Topeng is used to regulate social life during religious ceremonies in the temple (where they are displayed at the alter and fed) or for theatrical representations. The Topeng has evolved from early shamanistic burial and initiation rites. Mask traditions universally contain shamanistic features, for when an actor puts on a mask he gives up his own identity and embodies the character of the mask , usually a mythical being such as a demon, a supernatural hero, or a god. / Ramayana and Mahabharata: Both these epics are so highly evolved. The specialty of these texts is that the more you read them, the unsure you become. You feel like reading it again and again. You can’t read it just once and keep it aside. In Indonesia, we have Ramayana and Mahabharata written in old Javanese script. We can learn philosophy, spirituality, politics, tactics and many things from these epics. A serious learner never stops reading the two texts.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeng

Composed and created by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I ( 1755–1792 ).



In East Java topeng dance is called Wayang Gedog, the most famous artform originated from Malang Regency, East Java. Wayang gedog theatrical performances include themes from the Panji (prince) cycles stories from the kingdom of Janggala, and the players wear masks known as wayang topeng or wayang gedog. The word "gedog" comes from "kedok", which, like "topeng" means "mask".



Betawi mask dance or tari topeng Betawi is a mask-dance of the Betawi people of Jakarta.