Group of 106 Shadow Puppets

CultureChinese

Date18th century

MediumDonkey skin, paint, varnish

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust

Object number46-59.1-63

On View

Not on view

Collections

East Asian Art

Terms

DescriptionPuppet group consists of 48 bodies, 49 heads, and 9 pieces of furniture. Puppets are flat strips of donkey skin, cut in the shape of various characters from the Chinese Drama. They are transparent and painted and varnished on each side. In the performance, the figures are held against the back side of a thin white screen, lit from behind, causing a strong shadow to be visible from the front of the screen.

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