Kites crafted through the collaboration of Indonesia and India are also on display. Most of them are in the shape of wayang (puppets). “India and Indonesia have similar culture and share stories about wayang. I was also involved in making it,” said Asep.
In the second room, visitors can see the types of kites from various regions in Indonesia. There are kites from South Kalimantan called Dandang Laki and Dandang Bini. According to Asep, these pairs of traditional kites are taken from the name of a cooking utensils in South Kalimantan. They are usually flown during the harvest season in the middle of the rice fields to wish for bountiful yields in the next harvesting season. They will make a distinctive sound when they are flown.
“The sound comes from the two bamboo blades attached to the left and right sides of the head frame. The bamboo is shaped like a kentongan [a slit drum] with a longitudinal hole in the middle. If these kites are flown amid strong winds, they will emit a sound that can be heard up to one kilometre away,” explained Asep.
There is also a kite from the Kudus called Dara Keplok, in the shape of a dove. If flown it makes a clapping sound, because on the left and right of the wings there are bamboo affixed. Every movement of this kite will definitely make a sound. Then there is kite from China. It has miniscule size, only two centimetres. It is flown using sewing thread and must be assisted by strong winds.
In the third room, visitors can see traditional kites made from various types of leaves, such as bamboo leaves, sap leaves, banana bark and teak tree leaves. The leaves are joined together by plaiting using coconut leaf stems, to make a strong wooden frame beneath the kite’s body.