Cultural Crossing in the Performing Arts

Chinese and Javanese, are two ethnic groups that never stop interacting with each other. These two ethnicities are unique in their cultural interactions. The interaction between the two of them complement each other's shortcomings and advantages without losing their true identity. Entis Chinese and Javanese always live side by side, this is due to the mutual respect and harmony of these two major ethnicities. Since 1740 Chinese and Javanese people have interacted and lived side by side by bringing their respective cultures. In other words, in growth and development in Java, ethnic Chinese always accompany and participate in development and change in Java.

In the history of Javanese change, until the occurrence of Palihan nagari, Mataram was divided into two, which we recognize as the Ngayogyakarta Sultanate and the Surakarta Kasunanan, ethnic Chinese settled in two respective regions and received different roles. From a cultural perspective, the two of them continued to carry out what we now know as a cross, that Javanese and Chinese cultures complement and feed each other.

From a number of crosses between Chinese and Javanese, especially in Yogyakarta, we can identify one of them through art and Wacinwa, which stands for Chinese-Javanese Wayang Kulit, which is one form of this cross. The Javanese Chinese Wayang Kulit (Wacinwa) exhibited at the Temporary Exhibition organized by the Sonobudoyo Museum is a cross-cultural form between Chinese and Javanese culture.

Wayang Cina - Jawa was created by Gan Thwan Sing (1895 - 1967) in Yogyakarta in 1925. The number of years of manufacture can be seen from the writings in the Uberlingen collection of wayang gunungan. On the gunungan there is the inscription "Made by Gan Thwan Sing, 1925, Yogyakarta". This puppet is made by combining Chinese and Javanese culture. So far there are only 2 (sets) of Chinese-Javanese shadow puppets in the world. Both sets of discourse originally belonged to Chineesch Institut Yogyakarta. Currently one set is kept at the Sonobudoyo Museum in Yogyakarta and another set is kept at Dr. Yale University (America) owned by Dr. Walter Angst. This puppet can reach Germany and is currently in America because it was brought or bought by Dr. F. Seltmann in the early 1960's when he was visiting Yogyakarta. After F.

Seltmann died in 1995, the puppet was purchased by Dr. Walter Angst, then Dr. Walter Angst, a set of his discourse on a grant to Yale University, USA.

A set of Wacinwa, the Sonobudoyo museum collection, consists of 165 wayang figures and head pieces. Currently all these puppets have been replicated and can be staged. When compared to leather puppets in general, the size of the Javanese Chinese Wayang has a relatively small shape and the highest size is only 68 cm, or as big as the Kidangkencanan wayang (wayang for children to play with). The Wayang Cian Jawa collection of the Sonobudoyo museum is very unique. This is because the head of the character from the puppet can be changed according to the desired character in the show. The installation of the gapit on the puppet characters only reaches the neck below or parallel to the shoulders. The top end of the thread gap is slightly loose so that there is a gap or space. One character's head can be removed and attached to another character's head.

Chinese people have synonymous with the world of commerce, so it feels littleIt is strange to see that peranakan Chinese have not had any contact with the world of commerce, even more so have chosen the art world, such as Gan Thwan Sing. When Gan Thwan Sing moved to Yogyakarta in the early 20th century, he preferred to be in touch with the world of performance. As a form of effort to develop his talents, Gan Thwan Sing studied puppetry and performance arts. According to Gan Thwan Sing Yogyakarta is the right place to develop and deepen his love for the arts, especially the performing arts. As a form of his love for the arts, especially the performing arts, the Chinese-Javanese shadow puppet was born, which was the end of Gan Thwan Sing's journey in the world of performance. This then gave birth to an idea of a fusion of Chinese traditions with Javanese traditions, in which the two traditions mutually support each other.