Featured shadow puppets worth buying

Hi all anyone tell me if these are worth buying passed them up a few times but thought I would check with you guys first 10aud each made of a hard plastic maybe quite flexible chris

 

Life-size? Buy them if you like them.

 

These are nicely made Wayang Kulit shadow puppets, of the type mostly used in Central Java and Madura. These look like figures from the Mahabharata.
Kulit means skin, and Wayang Kulit are made from (water) buffalo skin and buffalo horn. That is the plastic-like feel.
You didn't say how big they are. They look the regular size, ca 55cm. If they are, I would certainly buy them for au$10 each.

 

grabbed them aj they are all 450 to 500mm long not allowing for rods one rod is missing what age do you think they are

 

They are beautiful, Chris.
They are Central Javanese in style, probably from one set, although there is a slight difference in age. My guess is made between 1930 and the 50s. When a puppet became torn or tattered (fierce battle scenes, travel), a new one would be commissioned.
A bit about the characters. When the faces look down a bit, they are of noble character and calm disposition. When they look straight ahead, they are confident, sometimes even a bit arrogant.
Two of them have a 'badong', a stylized wing extended from the shoulder. That has the same significance as a halo in our culture.
The curled headdress is for nobility, there are different shapes nicknamed prawn and lobster, because they resemble the curly tails.
The high headdress is a crown for high kings and Gods. In the Hindu-Buddhist era, roughly pre-1600, high kings were regarded as incarnations of Gods.
The white-faced one is wearing a princely diadem from the Majapahit era, 1293-ca 1500, the golden age of East Java/Madura. He also has a badong or wing.
The one with the black face is Arjuna from the Mahabharata. A prince who tried to avoid war against his relatives, but was brave enough to face the inevitable great war of the Mahabharata epic. He is depicted in different ways and face colours in various fases of the story, this is a more contemplative one, with little princely jewellery. He is everyone's favourite, and for centuries Javanese men have aspired to become like him.

The Dalang or puppeteer during a more light-hearted scene, with three humourous characters:


The whole set before the play starts, good guys on one side, bad guys on the other. Centre screen the wayang lamp in the shape of the sacred Garuda bird, which causes the light and shadow effect.
Gamelan orchestra behind the dalang. The audience is supposed to be on the other side of the screen, but this looks like it is inside a Western style theatre.

 

sensational thank you so much for that lesson I was thinking about maybe selling these but given their age and the significance of each character these will sit proudly in my collection many many thanks glad I decided to buy from your help chris