Puppets

In China puppet theatre has always vividly reflected societal and cultural values with beautifully carved puppets, music, drama, and eloquent language, costumes and adornment while assuming a major role in religious rituals and honoring major life and historical events. Puppetry using rod, string, glove and shadow puppets, reached its height in the Qing dynasty when it became closely associated with local opera forms. Story plots include history, religious and supernatural events, deities and legends, romances and even courtroom cases accompanied by flutes and drums Although Chinese puppetry diminished after the Cultural Revolution, traditional puppet theatre is still performed by private and state sponsored professional and amateur companies in rural and urban areas with Chinese and Taiwanese government support in recent decades to preserve puppets and theatrical performances.

Of the many types of puppets, our collection soon will include marionettes, puppet heads, stick, rod and shadow puppets, primarily from Indonesia and China.