Mia Hunjadi

2023 HT/Autmn

KOVN16

Shadow puppet of Bhima

Key concepts:
Wayang kulit, Javanese shadow puppets,
Hindu pantheon, Mahabharata, Bhima

Image 1. Shadow puppet of Bhima,

1800/1816, Java, hide, horn, gold leaf
(material), carved, painted and gilded
(technique), 102 cm/75 cm/117
cm/1.50 cm
(height/length/width/depth)1.

The work chosen for analysis consists

of a Javanese shadow puppet of
Bhima2, a character from the story of
Mahabharata3.
I have used Iconographical analysis as
set by Erwin Panofsky mid-20th
Century. Iconographical analysis
1
The British Museum (website) https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/1252528001,
(Accessed 25 September 2023).
2
Bhima is the second oldest of the 5 Pandavas, brothers who are central figures in the story steeped in
ancient Indian Hindu mythology. Throughout the Mahabharata, Bhima was revered for his might,
some claim his strength to transcend that of 10,000 elephants that not even Indra (king of the gods,
head of the Hindu pantheon) possessed the ability to subdue him in battle. (W. Johnson, “Bhīma”, A
Dictionary of Hinduism, 2009, Oxford University Press., https://www-oxfordreference-
com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/9780198610250.001.0001/acref-9780198610250-e-466,
(Accessed 27 September 2023).)
3
The Mahabharata is alongside Ramayana one of the two most influential Sanskrit epics that narrates
the events of the Kurukshetra war (a war of succession between the Pandavas and the Kauravas)
( W. Johnson, “Mahābhārata”, A Dictionary of Hinduism, 2009, Oxford University Press.,
https://www-oxfordreference-com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/9780198610250.001.0001/
acref-9780198610250-e-466, (Accessed 27 September 2023).).

requires the beholder of an image to
understand the culturally constructed
symbols and motifs that help with
reading the subject matter, the object.
Panofsky set out three levels of
analysis (pre-iconographic,
iconography, iconology) which bring
together the identification of the
forms, the convention of what is seen,
and the uncovering of the intrinsic
meaning behind the seen4.
The puppet is a two-dimensional,
shallowly carved relief. The figure
consists of the lower part of the torso
and legs in a lateral position (from
profile), the torso together with the
shoulders is shown frontally, while the
arms and hands are shown laterally
(from profile) as are the neck and
head.
The figure is depicted semi-naked,
clad only in elaborately detailed three-
5
M. Dujiker, “The worship of Bhima” PhD Thesis, Leiden University, 2010, pp. 38-43. Available
7
“Shadow puppet of Bima”,
https://g.co/arts/C1U8utEp8UHb5Knj7, (accessed 25 September 2023).
Mia Hunjadi
2023 HT/Autmn
KOVN16
details almost as expansive as on the
pants, but unlike the horror vacui we
encounter on the pants, the details on
the head are still more moderate.
There we encounter gold jewellery as
a hair ornament and an earring. The
decorative elements featured in the
representation of Bhima such as the
hair-dress, jewellery, and clothing
“strengthen the typification” and allow
for the identification of the character. 5
The same goes for colour, which is a
very important indicator.
Image 2. Detail (head) of the puppet6.
When the character of Bhima is
Google Arts and Culture, (website),
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out much about the typology of the Image 3. Detail (lower part of the
floral jewellery as is presented, so I torso with legs and arms visible)8.
focused on the details of the attributes The pattern of swirling lines can also
that I am sure of, namely the swirls. If be followed by the details of his pants,
we look more closely, the whole figure primarily the trousers and the cloak
is made up of distinctive winding that flutters behind him. Even the part
fragments. The details of the head that connects the feet, that is, the
discern ammonite-shaped carved curls representation of the "ground" on
and beard, a hairstyle that curls which he walks, is more like a
upwards like a kind of wave, representation of clouds, given the
eyebrows, and eye line. I believe it painted shapes. We can even give a
points to Bhima's mythological comparison with other puppets whose
background, that is, his status as the legs are connected in the same way,
son of Vayu, the wind god and the and what is painted is not at all like
divine messenger to the Hindu our representation, but looks like a flat
pantheon. ground (Image 4). However, his status
can be read in more detail from the
motif of his clothing. There is no
shortage of gorgeous motifs and
colors. Black cubes bolded with red
lines that form a checkerboard
bordered by hemmed gold lines of the
cloak and ornaments, which flow into
maroon legs studded with golden
animal figures (four-legged animal)
and two garudas on each thigh9.
The importance of Javanese shadow
puppets and Wayang kulit

8
The British Museum (website) https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/1252528001,
(Accessed 25 September 2023).
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Wayang kulit (Image 5) is an ritualistic nature, something which in

ceremony to bring honor and help
maintain prosperity10. The puppets are
vehicles to make the gods “visible”11.
There is a primordial concept to the
Wayang kulit which stems from its
the West has been redefined with a
transition to a monotheistic religion
that didn’t abolish the ritual itself but
subsequently censored it.

Additional Images

10
“Wayang Kulit-Shadow Theatre”, Asian Art Newspaper, (website), 2020,
https://asianartnewspaper.com/wayang-kulit-javanese-shadow-theatre/#prettyPhoto, (Accessed 25
September 2023).

11
This is somewhat similar to the performative action of Deus ex machina (physical
introduction of gods to explain the story) in the ancient Greek theatre (“Shadow puppet
of Bima”, Google Arts and Culture, (website), https://g.co/arts/C1U8utEp8UHb5Knj7, (accessed 25
September 2023)).
9
Garuda is an eagle-like deity of the Hindu pantheon and although we can argue his presence as a
connection with the wind given the eagle's head, Garuda's importance goes beyond this simple
connection. Throughout the Mahabharata, Garuda is said to be a symbol of violent force, speed, and
martial prowess and is invoked by powerful warriors such as Bhima (J. Bowker, “Garuḍ a”, The
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 2000, Oxford University Press. from https://www-
oxfordreference-com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/9780192800947.001.0001/acref-
9780192800947-e-2611, (Accessed 27 September 2023).)
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Image 4. Detail of the strip that connects the feet

Image 5. Wayang kulit performance

Bibliography
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Literature
Hatt, M., Klonk, C. “Iconography - Iconology: Erwin Panofsky” in M. Hatt, C.
Klonk (ed), Art history: a critical introduction to its methods, Manchester,
Manchester University Press, 2006, pp. 96 – 118 (Chapter 6).

Thesis
Dujiker, M., “The worship of Bhima” PhD Thesis, Leiden University, 2010, pp. 38-
43. Available from: Leiden University Scholarly Publications,
https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/15227, (Accessed 25
September 2023).

Websites
The British Museum (website)
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/1252528001, (Accessed 25
September 2023).
“Shadow puppet”, The British Museum (website),
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_As1859-1228-675, (Accessed
25 September 2023).
“Wayang Kulit-Shadow Theatre”, Asian Art Newspaper, (website), 2020,
https://asianartnewspaper.com/wayang-kulit-javanese-shadow-theatre/#prettyPhoto,
(Accessed 25 September 2023).
“Shadow puppet of Bima”, Google Arts and Culture, (website),
https://g.co/arts/C1U8utEp8UHb5Knj7, (accessed 25 September 2023).

Online dictionaries
Bowker, J. “Garuḍ a”, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 2000,
Oxford University Press. from
https://www-oxfordreference-com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/
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9780192800947.001.0001/acref-9780192800947-e-2611, (Accessed 27 September

2023).

Johnson, W., “Bhīma”, A Dictionary of Hinduism, 2009, Oxford University Press.,

https://www-oxfordreference-com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/
9780198610250.001.0001/acref-9780198610250-e-466, (Accessed 27 September
2023).
Johnson, W., “Mahābhārata”, A Dictionary of Hinduism, 2009, Oxford University
Press., https://www-oxfordreference-com.ludwig.lub.lu.se/view/10.1093/acref/
9780198610250.001.0001/acref-9780198610250-e-466, (Accessed 27 September
2023).

Images
Images 1-3. “Shadow puppet”, The British Museum (website),
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_As1859-1228-675, (Accessed
25 September 2023).
Image 4. “Wayang Kulit-Shadow Theatre”, Asian Art Newspaper, (website), 2020,
https://asianartnewspaper.com/wayang-kulit-javanese-shadow-theatre/#prettyPhoto,
(Accessed 25 September 2023).
Image 5. A. Gloria, Wayang kulit (digital image), 1 December 2013,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sisi_Refleksi.jpg, (Accessed 25 September
2023).