Political Context in Surakartanese Court Style Wayang Gedhog: Relationships Between Iconography and Performance Aspects with the Image of Power in 19th Century Java; Konteks Politik dalam Wayang Gedhog Gaya Kraton Surakarta: Hubungan Aspek Ikonografi dan Pertunjukan dengan Imaji Kekuasaan Jawa Abad ke-19

Wayang gedhog, a Javanese art form that dates back to the 15th century, has endured several cultural transformations, once seen by the Walisanga as a method of spreading religious preaching. Under the rule of Mataram kings, who tended to reinforce their supremacy and legitimise their power in the mythical Panji tales, especially in Sunanate of Surakarta, this form of shadow puppetry survives even after the Javanese courts' political and military power gradually deteriorated in the 18th and 19th centuries. The concerns that have been raised about these cultural phenomena are: Why did the Surakartanese court give wayang gedhog greater consideration than its Yogyakartan equivalents, and what relevance does it have in the Sunanate's idea of power? In order to learn more about the phenomenon of wayang gedhog performance in the courtly setting of Surakarta, this article used a textual and contextual approach in a multidisciplinary field that included literature, history, aesthetics, and performance studies. It is discovered that political and ideological considerations significantly affected the iconography and performances of wayang gedhog, while this type of puppetry also expected to represent a Kraton political ideology. Additionally, it was established that the roles and depictions of wayang gedhog figures changed over time in response to changes in the regional or global political environment. © 2024 SEAMEO SPAFA and author.