Leather Shadow Puppets

Miniature shadow puppet

These miniature leather shadow puppets are made for children so that they can familiarise themselves with the amazing shadow theatre stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabarata which are central to much of Javanese culture.

To choose a male or female character, please mention it in the Comments section at Check out.

Made of painted leather with a black horn stick, these puppets measure approx 18 cms x 5 cms.

Javanese shadow puppet (Semar)

A very important character in the Javanese shadow theatre, Semar is the father of the four Panakawan - the servants of the hero who are both extremely funny but also wise and perceptive. They can be used to bring all kinds of topical messages to the popular puppet shows.

Semar is said to embody the guardian spirit of Java.

Painted leather and bamboo handles.

Size:  40 cms (including stick) x 17 cms NB This is a small version puppet and not the full size version

Balinese shadow puppet

A shadow puppet from Bali made from thick buffalo hide with three buffalo horn sticks

This puppet has a mouth which can be operated with a string. He wears the black and white "poleng" cloth - a signifier of spiritual purity.

Size approx: 38 x 21 cms (excluding stick) The length including the stick is 54 cms

Chinese Shadow Puppet

A beautiful little puppet of a young warrior girl with delicate little hands.

In pale translucent leather with horn sticks.

Size approx: 35 x 13 cms

Yudistira - Javanese shadow puppet

Yudistira is a character from the Mahabarata epic story. He is the eldest of the five Pandawa brothers and is held up as an example of a good and moral character.

The puppet is in very finely carved and painted thin leather with three dark buffalo horn carved sticks

Size: 41 x 24 cms (excluding sticks) 61 cms including sticks

Laksmana - Javanese shadow puppet

Laksmana is the brother of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic tale, the Ramayana. He goes with Rama to the forest to hunt the golden deer, and is an important character in the story.

A finely carved and painted thin leather puppet with buffalo horn arm and central sticks.

Size approx: 45 x 22 cms (excluding stick) The length including the stick is 65 cms

Subali - Javanese shadow puppet

Subali is one of the red monkey twins in the story of the Ramayana Hindu epic tale.

This puppet is old and well used with some repairs. As the monkeys fight in a spectacular fashion during the traditional shadow show, its not surprising that these characters show much wear and tear!

Carved and painted leather with two wooden arm sticks and a central wooden stick with a metal end protector.

Size approx: 52 x 33 cms (excluding stick) The length including the stick is 70 cms

Rahwana - Javanese shadow puppet

Rahwana is a pretty bad man - it is he who tricks and kidnaps the Princess Sita while Rama is out hunting the golden deer.

This is an impressive but an old puppet with some broken central stick issues

Carved and painted leather with a wooden arm stick and a central buffalo horn stick.

Size approx: 62 x 31 cms (excluding stick) The length including the stick is 85 cms

Greek Shadow Puppets (pair)

These two are the Greek equivalent of the famous Turkish puppets Hacivat and Karagoz. In Greek they are known as Karaghiozis and Hadjiavatis.

Karagoz (Black eye) is the poor but smart hero of many well known stories where he gets the better of his friend Hacivat and a series of other characters.

These puppets are full sized (48 and 52 cms long and approx 20 cms wide) and come with metal sticks which are used to hold them against the lit screen. They are made from a stiff painted acetate.

Kumbakarna - Javanese Shadow puppet

This huge puppet is Kumbakarna - the younger brother of Rahwana. Although he is an enormous and pretty fiersome warrior, he is reputed to be of good character.

Made of thick carved leather with two wooden sticks.

Size: 73 x 48 cms excluding the central stick (Length with the stick is 96 cms)

Complete set of Turkish shadow puppets

 A set of 33 genuine leather shadow puppets from Istanbul, Turkey used to perform the Hacivat and Karagoz stories. The figures are all around 28 cms tall and all come with a stick which will go into the reinforced leather hole and hold them against a screen

The set consists of:

1. Karagoz
2. Hacivat
3. Karagoz trapped in an earthenware pot
4. Hacivat  with the body of a goat
5. Karagoz with the body of a donkey
6. Hacivat and Karagoz in a rowing boat
7. a male and a female dancer
8. a male musician playing a saz
9. a female musician playing a guitar
10. Husmen the wrestler
11. Rumeli the dwarf
12. a pasha or rich man
13. an opium smoker
14. a naked witch riding on a dragon
15. a gypsy fortune teller
16. a lady with umbrella and veil
17. a woman with tulip (Karagoz's wife)
18. a market seller with paniers
19. a fruit seller with basket
20. a woodcutter with axe
21. a janissary or soldier
22. a night watchman with his lantern
23. a fish seller with 3 fish
24. a camel and an owl
25. a snake and a small dragon
26. 3 elephants - one very large and two small
27. 2 scenery pieces - a traditional house and a lemon tree in a pot