Shadow puppets(7)
Most puppet types have developed over a long period of time, spreading to large parts of the world. They have followed human migration through millennia. Along the way, they have put down roots and developed different national and regional traits. The history of the theatre puppets is colourful and diverse, and it is also filled with contrasts and conflicts. In main, the theatre puppets in Europe have followed the development of theatre at large, but often in the shadow of it!
ARCHETYPES
There are four archetypes of theatre puppets: glove puppets, rod puppets, marionettes and shadow puppets. All of them have their characteristic visual expressions and physical characteristics, but also limitations.
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A fifth archetypes is the Japanese Bunraku puppets, still very much alive in the city of Osaka, where a national Bunraku theatre is located. Together, the five archetypes have contributed to the development of newer types of puppets, more or less related to their ancestors. These subcategories, hybrids, and mutations of the archetypes are here presented under the headline puppeteer and puppet(s) and other figures. The eight and last category is TV, video and movie puppets.
Archetypes and younger successors live side by side in our time and age. They make up a rich diversity of theatre puppets within performing arts. As the gallery is filled with more and different puppets, more information about them will be added.
THE SHADOW PUPPET
Traditional shadow puppets stem from the east, more specifically China, India, and Indonesia. They have a wholly different historical and cultural background, demanding more space than we can use here. Despite their ancient age, shadow puppets are still representative of these countries. The Asian shadow puppets are either two-dimensional and made of animal skin, or they are three-dimensional and made of wood. All shadow puppets are richly decorated with colourful patterns and symbols. To be able to perform shadow theatre four elements are needed: The physical puppet, a screen to project it onto, a source of light and the puppeteer. Acting with the shadow puppet takes place between the screen and the source of light. In traditional shadow theatre, oil lamps provided the light.
The renewal of shadow theatre in Europe can be credited to one French and one Italian company, Compagnie Luc Amoros and Teatro Gioco Vita, respectively. They experimented with new material in the creation of shadow puppets, such as bendable plastics. They changed the source of light from a stationary one to a mobile one, and they introduced dancers and actors in interaction with the shadow puppets. They found inspiration in different cultures, such as African dances. The prevalence and integration of shadow puppets and other elements from shadow puppetry have spread across large parts of Europe, including the Nordic countries.