It could take as many as 24 steps and more than 3,000 cuts to produce a single figure.įirst, the craftsmen or artists would try to find the right hides, which will be immersed and cleaned in water for at least three days. The process of making a shadow puppet figure is complicated and calls for well-trained skills and experience. Hence the puppetry’s Chinese name became pi ying xi, which is literally translated as “leather shadow play.” They were first made of paper, but later of the hides of donkeys, oxen and other animals. ![]() Shadow puppets are not only props, but also a type of artwork. It was reported that the Chinese shadow theater performances in Paris and Marseilles captivated audiences and made shadow puppet plays famous in many European countries. Starting from the 13th century, Chinese shadow puppetry gradually spread to Persia, Arabia, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia as well as Siam (today’s Thailand), Burma (Myanmar), Malay Archipelago and Japan, either by Mongolian soldiers on expeditionary missions or by Western missionaries in China going back home or through the ancient Silk Road and trade. It was also suitable for performing in military camps and remote villages. It was particularly suitable for farmers and working people who would like to enjoy a dramatic show after a hard day’s work. And despite its regal origin, shadow puppetry soon became a people’s art form because of its simple and portable props and usually nighttime performances. Sometimes, one would help by moving the light source to create special theatrical effects.Īnd despite its regal origin, shadow puppetry soon became a people’s art form because of its simple and portable props and usually nighttime performances.ĭuring the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), shadow puppet play became very popular all around the country. The other would play several traditional Chinese music instruments, such as erhu or a two-string fiddle, bamboo flute, drum, gongs, cymbals and suona or Chinese double-reed horn. One puppeteer would manipulate the shadow puppets while narrating and singing. Manipulated by puppeteers with rods, colorful silhouette figures, made either of leather or paper, are projected onto a thin, translucent cloth screen with the help of rear illumination.Ī complicated show would be staged by a troupe of seven to nine artists while a simple one could be performed by only two people. Manipulated by puppeteers with rods, colorful silhouette figures, made either of leather or paper, are projected onto a thin, translucent cloth screen with the help of rear illumination.Ĭhinese shadow puppetry is a simple theatrical form that combines storytelling and entertainment. It brought forth pi ying xi, or Chinese shadow puppetry, one of the most popular forms of theater in China, which remains a living folk tradition in the country today.Ĭhinese shadow puppetry is a simple theatrical form that combines storytelling and entertainment. Many historians and artists believe that the shadow performance put on by the minister that night led to the creation of one of the earliest animated techniques in the world. The emperor immediately took to it and gradually came out of his depression and his reign lasted for 54 years. The performance was so vivid that the emperor felt that he saw the spirit of his beloved in the puppet. He cut a fabric figure resembling Lady Li and projected its shadow onto a thin curtain. ![]() That night, he staged a performance for the emperor. ![]() Suddenly, he got an idea on how to drag the emperor out of his grief. He was impressed by the lively shadows of the dolls moving around the walls and the ground. One of the emperor’s ministers one day saw kids playing with dolls under the sun in a courtyard. The emperor was so heartbroken by the loss that he became deeply depressed and thought of stepping down from his reign.Īll his family members, relatives and aides were very worried. ![]() More than 2,000 years ago, Lady Li, the favorite concubine of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), died of illness. The Chinese name pi ying xi is literally translated as “leather shadow play.” The figures are usually made of either leather or paper. Shadow puppets are not only props but also a type of artwork.
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