This craftsman in West Java, Indonesia, has been making traditional puppets from wood waste he finds.

Ishak Suhendra, living in Ciranjang village, uses the wood he finds in the nearby forest to craft Wayang Golek, a traditional Sundanese puppet.

Suhendra has been making these puppets since 1980 and the skill has been passed down from generation to generation.

To make one puppet, it takes Suhendra about 15 days depending on the design.

They're priced between 350,000 to 1.5 million Indonesian rupiahs (£17.39 to £74.52).

This footage was filmed on April 21.

This footage was filmed and produced 21 April 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic had quite an impact on the community's economy, as well as a Wayang Golek craftsman, Ishak Suhendra, a resident of Ciranjang Village, Ciranjang District, Cianjur Regency, West Java. By using the waste from various types of wood he gets from the forest, Ishak continues to innovate in making Wayang Golek. He has been practicing as a Wayang Golek craftsman since 1980 until now.

However, entering the Modern Era, especially during the current Covid-19 Pandemic, public interest in Wayang Golek has begun to decline. This did not deter Ishak from continuing to be creative in making Wayang Golek crafts, considering that his profession as a Wayang Golek craftsman is a cultural heritage that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Ishak really hopes that the Cianjur Regional Government can continue to pay attention to the cultural values ​​that have been eroded by this era, and give a response to his profession, considering that until now, Ishak has never received attention from the Cianjur Regency Government.

Meanwhile, according to Isaac. In the past, his puppet show was always bought by puppeteers in a number of regions, in fact, the puppet show produced by ishak was brought to European countries by a dealer.

To make one Wayang Golek, it takes about 15 days, depending on the type of carving and the character of the puppet. This puppet made by Ishak, is priced from 350 thousand to one point five million rupiah, while for miniature sizes, it starts from 50 thousand to 300 thousand rupiah.