Inside the Puppet Box: A Performance Collection of Wayang Kulit at the Museum of International Folk Art

I believe this book will prove very useful to anyone seeking great visual references related to Wayang Kulit. The photos are sharp and the captions helpful in putting the images in context. The text is informative, but not bloated in the way some academic studies present themselves. This is why I would suggest further reading in terms of academic historical analysis to give enrichment to the material here. Having said that, if such is not your interest, this book will be perfect as a visual survey and give you what you need to understand the fundamental parts of Wayang Kulit.

This is a lovely and fascinating book. The author is the curator of Asian Art at the Museum of International Folk Art, the home of the puppet collection presented in this catalog. Her knowledge of Indonesian culture and arts and her particular love of the classic wayang theater are evident throughout. The collection itself is beautifully photographed and documented, with enough explanation of the characters and their creation, iconography, and usage to introduce the subject to new enthusiasts. Knowledgeable wayang collectors and researchers will appreciate the well-documented provenance and the insights provided by the scholars. The book contains beautiful color photos of all 200+ puppets, whose carving and painting are indeed beautiful to behold. It is thus a stunning, oversized coffee-table art book as well as a reference guide.

The book is fantastic--loaded with pictures of the process of Indonesian craftsmen creating the puppets plus a breakdown of the most famous puppet theater characters.

If only it was printed bigger ... Not able to see the details clearly

Seeing these puppets reminds me of my father ...

This was so enjoyable and informative. It was clearly written, with beautiful photographs of the puppets and props as well as actual performances and the making of the puppets. Inside the Puppet Box is an excellent read for anyone interested in art, performance, history, or Indonesian culture.

great book, exactly what i was looking for as the owner of a series of Wayang Kulits.

ワヤン人形の図録です。A4サイズで結構分厚いペーパーバック、紙質も良好。よく博物館（トーハクなど）で売っている大きめの図録とそっくりです。カラーでワヤンクリの人形の画像を見たいなら、この本がいいと思います。写真の画質もよく、メジャーな人物は2体～3体など、複数の人形の画像が載っています。（ほぼデザインは同じなので素人の目で区別は難しいのですが、複数載っていることで、そのキャラの共通となる要素が分かりやすい気がします）英語でキャラクターの解説も載っており、かなり文字の分量も豊富です。ワヤンファンのみならず、図録コレクターも満足できそう（？）私はクンティの人形が好きです。俯いた黒い横顔に、青い上着が美しいですね！

Purchased as a present for my mother who collects puppets and puppet books - never seen her so impressed with a puppet book before. Illustrations and photos are excellent, and the info on each puppet character is clearly well researched. Have to say this is something of a niche market - but if you collect wayang kulit, I can't recommend highly enough!

Das Buch ist eine sehr gute Einführung in das indonesische Schattenspiel, in Herstellung der Figuren, ihre Bedeutung, ihre Handhabung bei Aufführungen etc. Das indonesische Schattenspiel ist ein sehr spannendes Element indonesischer Kultur. Schöne Abbildungen.