Petruk from East Java

Q: Missed the boat on buying this one about a year ago. The craftsmanship utilizes high detail in many areas, and its clearly been danced. Nate, 1193

A: This character, known as Petruk, is easy to recognize by his long nose. Sorry you didn’t get it. The carving is fabulous. As you know, masks of Java and Bali and other parts of Indonesia are inspired by Indian influences which were originally used to propagate religious principles and dramas from the Hindu epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabarata. These masks depict archetypal characters like demons, deities, heroes, gods and villains. Masks of the World has a separate chapter for Bali & Java.