Unfinished Mask

Besides displaying the finished masks, Wewed (see yesterday's post) also showed how a mask is made. He was having a break when I visited his stand at the exhibition hall, and so all I saw was this unfinished mask. This mask, like many other Indonesian traditional masks, is made of kayu nangka (jackfruit wood).

Selain memamerkan topeng-topeng yang sudah selesai dibuat, Wewed (lihat posting kemarin) juga mempertunjukkan bagaimana topeng dibuat. Topeng yang belum selesai dibuat ini dibuat dari kayu nangka.

Wewed Masks

Some of the mask collection exhibited by Wewed, an Indramayu-based mask artisan that specializes in crafting local traditional masks, at Gunungan International Mask & Puppet Festival held recently at Kotabaru Parahyangan in the west of Bandung.

This year's Gunungan International Mask & Puppets Festival is the second of what is planned to be a regular annual event that celebrates Indonesia's rich and diverse wayang (puppet) and mask traditions in the context of similar traditions worldwide.

Sebagian koleksi Topeng Wewed yang dipamerkan dalam Festival Topeng dan Wayang Internasional Gunungan di Kotabaru Parahyangan, Kabupaten Bandung Barat, baru-baru ini. Wewed adalah seorang seniman topeng yang berasal dari Indramayu, Jawa Barat.

Motorcyclist Masks, Gloves, and Rain Jackets

A street vendor selling masks, gloves, and rain jackets for motorcyclists on the road side of Jalan Supratman Street.

You can find this scene in many parts of the city. Street vendors (or the Kaki Lima as we call them) are an important part of the city's economy. They provide livelihood for those who would otherwise be left unemployed because they could not find a job in the formal sector. As such, they become a significant social and economic safety valve against potential social unrest. However, their existence can also be a threat to the pedestrians' safety because they occupy the sidewalks and prevent pedestrians from using them. Pedestrians are often forced to use the body of the street to get around because of their existence.

Regulations and law enforcement dealing with the kaki lima are generally week weak in the city. I really wish that the government could be more responsive about this issue. They should find a way to balance the need of providing employment and livelihood to those who can not make it to the formal sector and the convenience and safety interests of pedestrians.

Bangbarongan - Parade of the Demons

In the mythologies of Indonesia's different ethnics, demons are not necessarily evil. Some of them are good and can be befriended and be useful to humans. They can be used to scare off and drive away evil spirits. Their symbolic representations like these Bangbarongan masked figures are often paraded in rituals to ward off evil spirits.

I took this photo at the Braga Festival last year. Braga Festival is coming up at the end of the month. You should probably plan to spend your end of year holiday in Bandung. We have this festival and huge Chirstmas and End of Year sales coming up soon.