Page 3 | Topeng - masks of Central Java

Alus masks

Contents

Topeng - masks of Central Java (1)

Basic iconography (2)

Alus masks (3)

Gagahan masks (4)

Characters (5)

The spirit of the mask (6)

In performance (7)

Seleh Notes Volume 1 Number 2 March 1994

© By Jo Shaw

Alus mask - Gunung Sari

The picture above shows the basic form of a typical alus mask.

The eyes are elongated and impossibly thin, painted in gold and outlined in black, with no real attempt at realistic depiction of an eye.

The eybrows, high and arched, are decorated with line elaboration and a mark between them, again in black and gold. I could never establish whether this mark had any meaning, but all masks and make-up traditions seem to have them.

 

The nose is very long, thin and pointed. The mouth is usually closed, with surprisingly voluptuous lips in bright red and a slight smile. All the features are light and delicate, the beauty is in the simplicity of form.

Across the top of the face is an elaborate headdress, carved and painted decoratively in red, blues, yellows and greens with, again, plenty of gold.

There is also an area of black representing hair, and it is really in these areas that the imagination of the mask-maker can run free.

The headdresses usually have a band of horizontal decoration with rising pyramids of colour above, and it is common to find a dragon head adorning each side of the face.

The finer the carving and brushwork, and the more intricate the patterns, then the more beautiful the mask; but the real skill lies in the actual features, which establish character.

My cheap practice mask (see page 6) found more favour with my teacher (Bapak Suripto of the Mangkunegaran Palace in Solo) for its sweetness of expression and spirit, than my expensive performance mask, mainly because the 'best' mask is showing his teeth and 'looks too Chinese'.

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