TITIS HERLYANA 2250408009

RENI RACMAWATI 2250408018

LILIK ANANTARI 2250408042
The Folk Art of Java by Joseph Fischer. 1994. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 134
pages.
This book tells about the folk arts of Java as determined by the Javanese themselves.
Javanese culture includes traditional games and toys, reverse paintings on glass that reflect
Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic traditions, various representations in Javanese society of the
servant-clowns in the Wayang theatre, ceramics that reflect folklore and ritual, naive folk
painters, traditiional children's art, and such objects as roof tiles, bronze bells, brass votive
figures, and village masks and puppets.
There are nine chapters in this book. Chapter 1 presents a number of definitions of
folk art and describes some of its principal characteristics that contribute to this broader view.
Chapter 2 focuses on the diversity of folk art objects that reflect the extraordinary syncretism
of Javanese culture. Within this, it is clear that anyone wishing to work on the folk art of java
will have to be informed by and understand the imported Hindu-Buddhist tradition and the
influence of Islam. Chapter 3 attempts to cover this within a discussion of the related subject
matter depicted on glass painting. Chapter 4 and 5 present some of the wayang stories and
personalities in relation to their expression in folk art. Chapter 6 revealing source of Javanese
culture is its folk literature and particularly its folklore. Chapter 7 is about childrens art.
Chapter 8 deals with of the most popular past and living legends in central Java, that of the
story of Ratu Kidul, Queen of the South Sea. Chapter 9 gives reference to the contemporary
work of selected nave and professional artists.
This book tells how important the folk arts for Indonesia are. Moreover, this book can
be the reference to make a research about folk arts. As the Javanese, they will be proud and
will have strong want to defend what they that is folk arts from those who would like to take
them away. It also gives benefit for Javanese people because their cultures are introduced to
the world wide. Automatically, people around the world would determine that those are really
Javanese mine, so that other countries will not able to determine that it is their culture. This
book strengthen the true identity of Indonesia.