Wayang kulit (Javanese: ꦮꦪꦁꦏꦸꦭꦶꦠ꧀ (in the ngoko register))[1] is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia.

[2] In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil (or electric) light.

There is no true contemporary puppet shadow artwork in either China or India with the sophistication, depth, and creativity expressed in wayang in Java, Indonesia.

Similarly, some of the other technical terms used in the wayang kulit found in Java and Bali are based on local languages, even when the play overlaps with Buddhist or Hindu mythologies.

argues that wayang originated from shamanism, and makes comparisons with ancient archipelago ceremonial forms which aim to contact the spirit world by presenting religious poetry praising the greatness of the soul.

[citation needed] The movement of the Javanese across Maritime Southeast Asia right up to the 20th century has also spread art form beyond its insular origin; this may come directly performed in areas where many Javanese settled such as western Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia,[11] or indirectly integrating local elements, such as the Wayang Kulit Kelantan performed in Kelantan north of the Peninsular where Kelantanese dalang was said to have learned from original masters themselves in Java.

[12] Hinduism and Buddhism arrived on the Indonesian islands in the early centuries of the 1st millennium, and along with theology, the peoples of Indonesia and the Indian subcontinent exchanged culture, architecture, and traded goods.

[15] Further, the eastern coastal region of India (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu), which most interacted with Indonesian islands, has had traditions of intricate, leather-based puppet arts called tholu bommalata, tholpavakoothu, and rabana chhaya, which share many elements with wayang.

[10] Jivan Pani states that wayang developed from two art forms from Odisha in eastern India: the Ravana Chhaya puppet theatre and the Chhau dance.

Mpu Kanwa, the poet of Airlangga's court of the Kahuripan kingdom, writes in 1035 CE in his kakawin (narrative poem) Arjunawiwaha, "santoṣâhĕlĕtan kĕlir sira sakêng sang hyang Jagatkāraṇa", which means, "He is steadfast and just a wayang screen away from the 'Mover of the World'."

When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen.

The plays are typically based on romantic tales and religious legends, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.

Making the wayang sticks from the horn is a complicated process of sawing, heating, hand-molding, and sanding until the desired effect is achieved.

When the materials are ready, the artist attaches the handle by precisely molding the ends of the horn around the individual wayang figure and securing it with thread.

[21] [22] In Java (where Islam is predominant), the puppets (named ringgit) are elongated, the play lasts all night and the lamp ({{jv}} (talk)) is, nowadays, almost always electric.

[23] In Bali (where Hinduism is predominant), the puppets look more realistic, the play lasts a few hours, and, at night, the lamp uses coconut oil.

A coconut oil lamp (Javanese: ꦧ꧀ꦭꦺꦚ꧀ꦕꦺꦴꦁ, romanized: bléncong;[28] Balinese: damar) – which in modern times is usually replaced with electric light – casts shadows onto the screen.

A banana trunk (Javanese: ꦒꦼꦢꦼꦧꦺꦴꦒ꧀, romanized: gedebog;[29] Balinese: gedebong) lies on the ground between the screen and the dalang, where the figures are stuck to hold them in place.

When the dalang animates the puppet figures and moves them across the screen, divine forces are understood to be acting in the hands with which he directs the happening.

The puppet master contextualizes stories from the plays, making them relevant to current community, national, or global issues.