top of page
Writer's pictureAstrid Wangsagirindra Pudjastawa

History of Wayang Kulit in Malang

Updated: Nov 21, 2020

Malang has been an open area since the Dutch colonization. At that time economic planning had begun, becoming an international route (through Surabaya) which opened access to the surrounding area. Malang was officially occupied by the Dutch colonial government since 1767 after the Dutch broke the resistance of Prince Singosari-Malayakusuma, a descendant of Suropati. The takeover of the Malayakusuma prince was included in the gebied rechstreeksestuurd (an area directly controlled by the Dutch) and in 1771 officially became one of the districts in the Karisedenan Pasuruan region.

Since then the names of Malang Regent have been recorded, including Raden Tumenggung Kertanegara (….-1822), Raden Regent Panji Wilasmoro (1823-1839), Raden Tumenggung Noto Diningrat (1839-1884), Raden Tumenggung Ario Noto Diningrat (1884- 1898), Suryo Adi Ningrat (1898-1934), and Ario Adipati SA. M (1934-1942).




In 1767 the population of Malang was estimated to be around 1000 households. The distance between Malang and Pasuruan is about 50 km which can be reached by using a cart for about two days. Meanwhile, the southern area of Malang is overgrown with shrubs and inhabited by rioters. This means that the South Malang area has not been opened, either for agricultural land or for plantations. The Lawang area (north of Malang) was opened for the first time because the land is fertile and the air is cool. This allows it to be used as a (cultural) coffee plantation. In 1800 the Malang area generally became agricultural fields and coffee plantations.

Pigeaud's report (1938) states that housing and the economy in Malang have been developing for a long time. One of the regents who leads the Malang region is Regent Ario Adipati S.A.M. which ruled between 1934-1942. This period is the reign of the Malang Regent before the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

The oldest wayang kulit in Malang was found in 1845 AD, owned by a rich man who was a relative of the 2nd Malang Regent. In 1887 M soerang named Sastro from the Tengger area made a wayang kulit which is now kept by his son. The local community then called it Wayang ndusun.

In 1901 in the village of Babakan Karangploso, a wayang golek was found, according to the puppet owner from the Tumpang area. In the puppet era, Ki Sastro Amijaya's framed wayang was found in 1924 from Simpar Village, in 1930 belonging to Pak Wahyudi from Gandul Lawang Village, and in 1933 from Babatan Permanu Village. Wayang Ki Sastro Amijaya is a ndusun puppet, while the puppet daeri from Gandul and Babatan villages is Wayang Gresik or commonly known as Wayang Pesisiran.

At the time of Regent Ario Adipati S.A.M. in the 1930s. A man named Reni and some of his relatives, a Malang Wayang Topeng maestro created a genre innovation called "Mangkunegaran Malangan". Based on Ongkhoham's search, Reni's work belonged to a relative in Jabung.


"Reni has another younger brother, Nita, who is no less famous as a shadow puppet carver. Both Reni and Nita abandoned their sons, Reni's daughter sold the famous Reni gamelan and also the mask and shadow puppet business after their death (Reni and Nita) to relatives in Jabung"


During the Reni period, VII Mangkunegara opened the widest possible access to see, observe, and research artists, researchers, and cultural observers from all regions in Java, one of which was Malang. Mangkunegara VII was the ruler of Vorstenlanden who initiated a movement that attempted to study and re-actualize Javanese culture of the past and that period, to determine the direction of cultural development in the future along with the rapid development of Western culture. Mangkunegara VII then initiated the establishment of the Java Institute (Java Institute). It is an organization working to develop Javanese, Madurese, Sundanese, and Balinese language, literature, and culture. Javanese and Dutch work together in organizations. Initially, there were 50 members, half of whom were European. The patron of this institution is the Governor-General Prangwedana who was appointed as the honorary chairman and RA Dr. Hoesein Djajadiningrat's son-in-law as a daily chairman. Mangkunegara VII was very interested in the world of puppetry. He was also so enthusiastic about the Panji-Raden Damarwulan story that he compiled a text describing wayang krucil.

In the 1950-1969 era, generations of wayang makers were born in the hamlets of Malang. The work of these craftsmen is then called wayang ndusun. Some of the puppet craftsmen that can be traced include Pak Surya and Pak Salya from Wajak Village (1950); Pak Kansen, Pak Darlin, and Pak Darso from Jabung village (1960); Pak Isno from the village of Wajak (1965); Pak Isman from the village of Jatikerto (1965); and Pak Tulin from Briyut (1965).

During the New Order era and protected by cronies of President Soeharto, the Surakarta puppet was promoted as an essential form of Javanese tradition in festivals, publications, and other public representations. Wayang became a "train-merchandise" or luxury goods [9]. In East Java in the 1980s, local puppeteers had to adopt aspects of the Surakarta style to continue to compete. The puppeteers in Central and East Java then bought the Surakarta-style leather puppets which were colorful and light, so this style of play was popularized in the 1980s by Solo-style puppeteer Ki Manteb Soedharsono, and the old puppeteer selling puppets. antique seller, although it has long been used as a seed or model for wayang making. Regional patterns in these years began to form minorities and were threatened with extinction.

To reduce the hegemony of the Surakarta-style wayang golek, some shadow puppet craftsmen from the Malang area have started to adapt the form of the Surakarta-style puppet show and several other Central Javanese styles to maintain its existence, besides that the need for wayang performances is also needed. there. increased rapidly so that new puppet craftsmen began to appear. Some of the puppet makers that year were: Pak Dasuki from Pohbener Wagir complained, Pak Darto from Lawang, Pak Dollah from Jeruk (Lowokwaru), Pak Jani Karanglo, Pak Bromo from Simpar, Pak Suud from Bunder Tumpang Village, Pak Wibisono from Pesanggrahan Batu, Pak Andre from Punten Batu, Pak Pinto from Ngumbal Ngantang, and Pak Raspan from Klayatan Malang City. People from the Malang area call this adaptation work Wayang Pegon. Whereas the people of Surakarta are called Wayang Prayung because the shadow puppets made by Malang people seem gray, not driven by Yogyakarta, Surakarta, or East Java styles but more like individual interpretations of how good wayang is adapted from various genres.

In the 1980s, several migrant craftsmen began to settle in Malang, such as Pak Cipto from the Blitar Surakarta style, Pak Kondo Suharto from the Solo Surakarta style, and Pak Takim from Wojowarno Jombang in the East Javanese style. The three men in Malang then developed their wayang making methods and were among the popular craftsmen of their time.

Furthermore, the history of wayang kulit in Malang in the 1980s is not told in this discussion because since the 1980s many craftsmen in the Malang area have died and there has not been any regeneration because of work as puppet craftsmen are no longer promising and have begun. lost to craftsmen from the Surakarta area. Most of the puppeteers in Malang during the 1980s started buying wayang from other areas, such as buying wayang from Surakarta and Yogyakarta.


7 views0 comments

Comments

Couldn’t Load Comments
It looks like there was a technical problem. Try reconnecting or refreshing the page.
bottom of page