Visual Acculturation of Chinese Culture in Karawang Banjet Topeng Dance Costumes

Abstract

This study explores the acculturation of Chinese culture in the Topeng Banjet dance costume, a traditional performing art unique to Karawang, West Java. The main focus of the study is to identify the visual influence of Chinese opera, particularly Peking Opera, on costume elements such as colour, silhouette, ornamentation, and decorative details. This study employs a qualitative approach with data collection methods including literature review, direct observation, interviews with cultural experts and artists, and visual documentation. Design analysis is conducted using Edmund Burke Feldman's model, which includes four stages: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. The results of the study show that there is an integration of aesthetic and symbolic elements from Chinese culture in the Topeng Banjet dance costume, without losing the local Sundanese identity. In this context, dance costumes function as a medium for representing dynamic cultural acculturation and strengthening the identity of cross-cultural performances. These findings also contribute to a broader understanding of the role of costumes as visual expressions of intercultural processes in traditional Indonesian performing arts