Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) of Gatotkaca, from the set Kyai Nugroho

Commissioned by Prince Tejokusumo of Yogyakarta, son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII, ca. 1908-1920. Ir. Suhartoyo, Yogyakarta, mid 20th century; by descent to an heir of Ir. Suhartoyo, Yogyakarta; sold to Dr. Walter Angst (1942-2014), Uberlingen, Germany [See Note I]; by descent to Sir Henry Angest (b.1940), London, England, and Perth, Scotland, 2014 [See Note II]; gift to Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 2018.

Notes: [I] Dr. Walter Angst (1942-2014) was a primatologist and notable collector of ‘wayang’ (Indonesian puppets) and wayang-related material. From the 1970s he amassed a collection of more than 20,000 puppets, mostly in full sets. While most were acquired directly from Indonesian puppet masters and local dealers, he also purchased many on the international art market. His entire collection was gifted to the Yale University Art Gallery, along with his collection notes. Research is currently ongoing to confirm Angst’s acquisition of each object. [II] Upon Dr. Angst’s death, while legal title passed to his brother, Sir Henry Angest (b.1940), who resides in the United Kingdom, the collection remained in Germany until its donation to the YUAG.