From Malay Mail · · 2m
The 19-year-old carving Kelantan's shadow puppets
A teenager from Pasir Puteh learned puppet-making by watching his uncle, and now takes orders from across the state.
In brief
A teenager from Pasir Puteh learned puppet-making by watching his uncle, and now takes orders from across the state. A craft survives when someone young enough to still be learning it decides to make it their living. Originally reported by Malay Mail.
A teenager with a chisel
Muhammad Airell Amsyar Anuar is 19, from Kampung Banggol Pak Esah in Pasir Puteh, and he makes shadow puppets for a living.
It started with watching
He grew up beside his late uncle, Mohd Nor Salleh, an experienced puppet maker who taught him the basics while he was still a boy.
“My interest in becoming involved in the art of making wayang kulit puppets began when I was a child, as I often watched my uncle make them.”
First orders at 15
He started dabbling while still in school, then worked up the nerve to take paid orders from friends and neighbours at 15.
“Over time, this interest grew until I plucked up the courage to start accepting orders”
It begins with hide
Cow or goat hide has to dry in the sun for about a week. These days he buys hide already processed, to save the time.
Customers bring the character
Buyers send pictures or caricatures of the character they want. He traces the outline onto the hide, then shapes and carves it.
Cowhide for the fighters
Tougher cowhide goes to aggressive, breakage-prone characters like Hanuman, Ratu and the pengasuh. Goat hide suits Seri Rama, Seri Dewi and Radin.
Twenty kinds of punch
He uses about 20 specially ordered punches, named Kuku, Budu, Siam Dua, Bunga Jawa and Bunga Bismillah, to cut the patterns into the leather.
Paint both sides, or sand it off
Bamboo rods are fixed on, then a clear base coat, then colour. Front and back must match exactly. One mistake means sanding it all back.
“If I make a mistake, I have to sand it down again to remove the incorrect paint”
Two days to a week
Time depends on size and how complicated the design is. Seri Rama, Seri Dewi, Wok Long and Pok Dogol sell best, at RM150 to RM700 each.
Orders from across the state
Some buyers want puppets for actual performances. Others buy them as decoration, or just because they like them.
He performs too
Four years of practice made him a Tok Dalang, the storyteller who runs the show. He plays the serunai, posts as Airell_SP_Official, and wants the craft to reach buyers abroad.
“I hope the skills I possess can continue to be developed to the point of being able to penetrate international markets”
What matters most
A craft survives when someone young enough to still be learning it decides to make it their living.
