UNVEILING LESSONS OF LIFE WITH GRASS PUPPETS

Syamsul Subakri, also known as Mbah Kardjo, was busy with a handful of dried grass. His fingers skillfully wove the grass to form wayang suket (grass puppets).

This puppet master, who is also an animal rescuer, was seen demonstrating his skill between discussion sessions at the recent launch of the book Merawat Tradisi dan Kearifan Budaya (Nurturing Tradition and Cultural Wisdom).

The event was held at a coffee shop in Mejosari village, Malang, East Java. True to its title, the book was introduced together with the presence of Mbah Kardjo, a local artist who uses grass puppets as a tool to spread the campaign on nature preservation, honesty, living in harmony, tolerance and social awareness.

Kardjo said that he named his grass puppets Puspa Salira (little bodies made of flowers). They are usually staged between a source of light and a translucent screen, and viewers watch the shadow of puppets in evening performances.

When the puppet play is staged in the daytime, it resembles a stick puppet performance. The plays could portray any stories according to the events’ theme, or the classical stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana (the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India).

The puppet master shows off a grass puppets he crafted himself. (JP/Aman Rochman)

“Today, the story is about the rich and the poor who become government officials in the era of information technology, and they got involved in a corruption case,” said Kardjo, who also mentioned that the city of Malang had seen many graft cases lately.

Grass puppets are made of mendong grass (Fimbristylis umbellaris), forming the shapes of men and women. Puppets are usually 50 centimeters tall, supported by bamboo rods so that they can be moved by the puppet master. Kardjo also makes 20-cm-tall puppets, however, for performances in front of children.

The making of grass puppets is usually the time when Kardjo delivers the Javanese wisdom for living. He starts with making the nose, symbolizing that there are rules to follow in order to live well; then the head, conveying a message that humans are noble creatures; while the neck is a sign of alertness, sensitivity and humility. The chest symbolizes the notion that humans are only made distinctive by their good deeds, while shoulders remind of the importance of hard work and that humans must believe that hard work pays.

The making of a grass puppet (JP/Aman Rochman)

“Minutes dedicated to making wayang suket also teaches patience and precision, and it trains both sides of the brain, right and left. Each grass puppet is one of a kind. No two puppets are the same,” said Kardjo.

Read also: “Wayang kulit” craftsmanship still flourishing in Wonogiri village

The puppet master always makes new wayang suket for every performance, and at the end of the show, he will distribute the puppets to the audience.

While waiting for his turn to perform, Kardjo usually makes small puppets, at the same time citing the meanings of each puppet’s body parts.

Through the puppets, he delivers the message to respect differences, the importance of tolerance and sharing. (mut)

SOURCE : The Jakarta Post