In the art of Reog Ponorogo, there is one central figure, namely what is usually called Singo Barong, whose characteristic is a peacock on top of a barong or tiger’s head. Not many people know that behind this giant peacock, craftsmen usually use around 900-1,500 peacock feathers from the male Javanese Green Peacock (Pavo muticus).
It is important to remember that the material for making Reog Ponorogo crafts is peacock feathers. However, don’t imagine that the peacock feathers in Barongan Reog are obtained by plucking the feathers on the peacock’s tail like plucking feathers, but only picking up the fallen feathers.
According to information from the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, the decorative feathers on male peacocks have 2 main motifs. The Plolong motif consists of green and blue circles that form eyes with a length of between 60-130 cm. Meanwhile, the Cawang motif, as a feather covering the tail, can reach a length of 120-170 cm.
During the breeding season, the male peacock’s tail feathers will open like a fan to attract female peacocks. After the breeding season is over, the male peacock’s tail feathers will experience a natural shedding cycle with the number of feathers falling out reaching 100-150 strands. This cycle will repeat itself every year.
Adult Javanese Green Peacocks reach the age of over 2 years and can live more than 10 years, which means the shedding cycle of one male can last up to 8 times. Adv/Ptr
