A GUARD dog by the gate started barking. The grey-haired Spatharis and his wife came out to welcome and usher Tempo into his study where all sorts of puppets graced the walls.

Catching my attention was the array of many Javanese puppets, such as Bisma, Kresna, Rahwana, and Arjuna, as well as Balinese Rangda masks. Spatharis had traveled the world though he had never visited Indonesia. He said he got all the leather puppets from his many friends i