PLATE 21.—MASKS OF CLOWNS AND DEMON.Theatrical masks used by Malay strolling players. The two masks at each end are worn by the
clowns (pran), and cover the upper jaw only, the eyes being mother-of-pearl with hollow
pupils. The central mask represents a forest demon (hantu rimba).Page 513.The costumes of the performers in the various kinds of dramatic exhibitions
vary, of course, with the subject-matter of the representation. The clown’s masks
and the forest demon (hantu hutan), of which illustrations are given, will serve
as specimens to indicate the nature of some of the accessories in use. A fairly
full list of their Malay names will be found in the classification given below.
The Ma’yong is perhaps the most typical form of Malay theatrical
representations, but another very characteristic performance is the Shadow-Play,
properly termed Wayang, a name that has been loosely extended to cover
theatrical exhibitions in general.
“The show is called Wayang Kulit, or leather puppets. It is exhibited in a rough
shed, which has a flooring raised about three feet from the ground; the building
is usually twenty feet square and enclosed on three sides, the front alone being