BULTHUIS RicoLivre Rare Book
Pocong Shadow Puppet.
1970réf. 216170Indonesia. Before1970s. Water buffalo hide and pigment 42 x 16 cm painted both sides affixed to a spliced horn baton some surface wear and loss of pigment overall in good condition. Figure of a Pocong used in the Javanese and Balinese 'wayang kulit' or leather shadow puppet theatre tradition. A pocong is a ghost in the form of a corpse wrapped in its burial shroud. The deceased are typically wrapped in a white cloth which is tied at several places including feet torso and neck. Burial is often without a casket. Before closure of a grave the ties must be loosed so that the spirit of the person is released. If not they are doomed to wander the world haunting the living and places at will. Belief has it that they sometimes haunt bamboo or bannana tree groves in order to befriend the living. During early Covid lockdown in Java neighbourhoods would block road access to enforce curfew with one or two people dressed as pocongan as a warning to trespassers. Purchased in Java in the early 1970s. . hardcover
Asia Bookroom · Australie325,00 $AU≈ 202,42 €