The Messages of Punakawan

I am sure that times can change. Cultures can shift. Social structures can be corrected. Laws can be subjected to judicial reviews. But what will be eternal and hard to change are the values of life.

Amid the resounding big narrations, sometimes we need to go deeper into small versions in the cultural realm. They may take the form of sayings, proverbs, wise words, quatrains and the like.

I have often been fascinated by the messages in traditional glass paintings with the images of punakawan (court servants). Their words are simple but down to earth. Every time I see glass paintings portraying punakawan – Semar, Gareng, Petruk and Bagong – that are always coupled with wise advice, I am directly reminded of the official residence of cultural expert “UK,” (the late) Umar Kayam, in Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta.