To say that topeng making is deceptively difficult. In the last 3-4 hours, I have used two different sizes of axe, a saw, and a hammer and chisel cut a block of wood into a vaguely face-shaped block of wood. (Think somewhere between the second and third masks from the left in the picture in the last post.) I am not quite as coordinated as I might have hoped. Still, I'm learning, and hopefully I'll get better at it. I am definitely much better at using the chisel than the axe.
Of course, saying that I transformed the block of wood completely by myself is a little disingenuous. The way the topeng-makers are teaching me involves showing me how to do something, letting me fumble through it for a while, then taking it from me and fixing it, and sometimes doing the next step. So at the end I'll have a mask that I took part in making, but perhaps not one that I have made completely by myself. Ah well, it's still pretty cool.
I did have a somewhat odd experience when I was there, since an American family came in to buy a mask (it's both a studio and a shop). With my meager amount of bahasa Indonesia, I ended up translating a bit for the family and the guys in the studio, especially when one of the girls in the family wanted to know if she could pet the puppies running around and the topeng-makers had no idea what she was talking about. I guess I'm learning more than I thought!
That's all for now -- sorry for the lack of pictures. Back in a few days with some more!
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Mask making and dancing, that's so cool! And no, I definitely don't have internet at my homestay, but we're in school with wireless all day everyday for this stretch so that's been helpful. I'm journaling and then posting, so it's fun!
ReplyDeleteLeave for the coast (Mombasa and Sharzi) for 2 weeks on Friday, so no laptops then...you can have time to catch up :)
Love,
Madeline
don't worry, baby: i'll still give footrubs to your toeless, scarred feet. might not touch the stumps, though. :)
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