Golek gambyong (head). Wood, cotton, metallic threads, mid-20th century
Golek gambyong (head). Wood, cotton, metallic threads, mid-20th century
$1.00
Bejewelled, heavily made-up, and glamorously dressed "golek gambyong" wooden dolls will appear at the end of a Javanese shadow puppet play to close the peformance which usually lasts from evening to early morning. Puppeteers have a special bond with the dolls because their human-like, coquettish faces are a stark contrast to the grotesque appearances of the shadow puppets used in such plays.