These shadow puppets took over Patterson Green as part of an outdoor performance by the Emory Gamelan Ensemble in 2006. Rooted in the cultural traditions of the Indonesian islands of Bali, Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as Malaysia, gamelan (a type of ensemble) was originally performed during ceremonies, rituals and religious rites.

The Emory Javanese Gamelan, founded in 1997, consists of 16 to 20 musicians performing on a full set of instruments — both “slendro” and “pelog” tunings — made by Javanese artisans Pak Djumadi and Pak Tentrem.

On September 30, 2006, the puppeteer Midiyanto presented a shadow puppet play, or “wayang kulit,” in collaboration with the ensemble.

We found a disk with these photos on a shelf here at the EAA and wanted to bring the performance back to life. We have a lot of photo disks over here ... who knows what we'll find next ...