Wayang, also spelled Wajang,
wayang kulit puppets [Credit: © afaizal/Shutterstock.com] (Javanese: “shadow”), classical Javanese puppet drama that uses the shadows thrown by puppets manipulated by rods against a translucent screen lit from behind. Developed before the 10th century, the form had origins in the thalubomalata, the leather puppets of southern India. The art of shadow puppetry probably spread to Java with the spread of Hinduism.