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Museum Hours
Thu: 1 PM–8 PM
Fri–Mon: 10 AM–5 PM
Tue–Wed: Closed
Location
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.581.3500
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Region

Southeast Asia

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Background Information

Introduction to Puppet Theater (Wayang) of Indonesia

For more than a thousand years Indonesians have used wayang theater as a method of addressing the conundrums of life. The lively puppet traditions of South and Southeast Asia have portrayed epic stories that shrank the cosmos down to a miniature world. The vast expanse of the earth could symbolically be reduced to the few feet of a puppet stage. The puppeteer’s lamp became the sun, throwing light on myriad creatures who, in their nobility or baseness, make up the world.

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), College and Beyond

Lesson

Making Indonesian Rod Puppets (lesson)

Students will: 1.) analyze the role of the puppet master (dalang) in Indonesian rod puppet theater (wayang golek). 2.) Read a summary of the Ramayana or a scene from this Hindu epic. 3.) Identify the different puppet character types. 4.) construct a rod puppet of a character from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

GRADE LEVEL: Early Elementary School (K-3), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)

Artwork

Throne for a Buddha image, 1850–1900

Throne for a Buddha image, 1850–1900. Burma. Lacquered and gilded wood and metal with mirror inlay. Gift from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Southeast Asian Art Collection, 2006.27.1.

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), College and Beyond

Artwork

Theatrical headdress for the magical deer

Theatrical headdress for the magical deer in the Story of Rama dance-drama, approx. 1950–1960, Central Thailand. Papier-mache, glass, and mixed media. Gift from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Southeast Asian Art Collection, 2006.27.10.9.

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), College and Beyond

Video

The Tet Pole

Asian Art Museum storyteller Miriam Mills tells a New Year story from Vietnam in the Southeast Asian galleries of the Asian Art Museum.

GRADE LEVEL: Early Elementary School (K-3), Elementary School (4-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)

Lesson

The Story of Rama (Curriculum Unit)

Students explore the characters and themes in the Story of Rama, making connections between the epic and their lives today.

GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School (4-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)

Lesson

The Spread of Buddhism Across Asia

Trace the spread of Buddhism through close looking at Buddhist objects from different regions. Explore how artifacts reveal distinct local traditions as well as common ideas and motifs.

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School (6-8)

Lesson

The Rituals of the Hajj

Lesson on the individual rituals performed by Muslim pilgrims during the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)

Background Information

The Rama Epic: The Story in Brief

Learn about the main events and conflicts in the Rama epic.

GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School (4-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), College and Beyond

Background Information

The Rama Epic: Meaning and Storytelling

Why is the epic of Rama a beloved tale in many cultures across South and Southeast Asia? Explore how this story and its characters has remained significant in the lives of millions even today.

GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School (4-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), College and Beyond