Shadow Puppetry
Shadow Puppet as Artwork – Chinese Folklore
Besides the figures needed in a certain drama, the shadow puppets include heroes and heroines from folklore and history, such as the four ancient beauties, Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei; or the Monkey King, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, etc.
Shadow puppetry in Shaanxi Province is believed to be the most typical and this art form originates from Hua Country of this province. The shadow puppets reveal a special world with their different figures on the screen and is praised by Frenchmen as “forerunner of film”.
Features of the Shadow Puppet Show – Chinese Folklore
Shadow puppetry wins the heart of an audience by its lingering music, exquisite sculpture, brisk color and lively performance.
The stage of shadow puppet is a white cloth screen on which the shadows of flat puppets are projected. Shadow puppet looks similar to paper-cut except that their joints are connected by thread so that they can be operated freely. The scene is simple and primitive; it is the consummate performance that attracts the audience.
History of Shadow Puppets – Chinese Folklore
More than 2,000 years ago, a favorite concubine of Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty died of illness; the emperor missed her so much that he lost his desire to reign.
One day, a minister happened to see children playing with dolls where the shadows on the floor were vivid. Inspired by this scene, the smart minister hit upon an idea. He made a cotton puppet of the concubine and painted it.
He invited the emperor to watch a rear-illuminated puppet show behind a curtain. The emperor was delighted and took to it from then on. This story recorded in the official book is believed to be the origin of shadow puppetry.
Shadow puppets were first made of paper sculpture, later from the hides of donkeys or oxen.
Shadow puppetry was related to politics. In Beijing, for example, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, this folk art was so popular that there were eight generously paid puppeteers employed in one prince’s mansion. When the Manchu rulers spread their ruler to various parts of China, they brought the puppet show with them tot make up for the fact that they could not appreciate local entertainment during to language barriers.
From 1796 to 1800, the government forbade the public showing of puppet shows to prevent the spreading of peasant uprising at the time. It was not until 1821 that the shadow puppet shows gained some vigor.
Today, shadow puppet shows face extinction like other traditional art forms.
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