![]() Shadow puppetry was ushered to the West around the thirteenth century, and still retains its original character, and it is even called a "National Treasure. Chinese shadow puppetry is a form of theatre acted by colourful silhouette figures made from leather or paper, accompanied by music and singing. More recently, it has been called “the father of film”. The shadow theatre of Asia in both its pragmatic and mythic dimension has a link with death. The name translates to shadow play of one person and is a unique form of Chinese shadow puppetry that features a single puppeteer operating multiple puppets at the same time. ![]() In China 2000 years ago, it was known as the “theatre of the lantern shadows”. Shadow puppetry has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, and one of the most fascinating forms of this art is known as Yimusanfendi. ![]() The emperor Han Wudi was heartsick after the death of his lady, so an advisor invented a way to see the late Empress through shadows. The prototype of shadow puppets is paper cut by scissors, and later it was changed to leather engraving. Chinese shadow puppet show (play), also called Piying Show or Piying Xi in Chinese language, is a traditional folk art, the origin of which can be traced. It is thought that shadow puppetry originated in China over 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (140 87 BCE). The storytellers generally used the art to tell events happening between various warring kingdoms. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, shadow puppetry began spreading to the working class where it was embraced as a people’s folk art. The earliest shadow theatre screens were made of mulberry paper. The roots of shadow puppetry in China can be traced back to the early Han Dynasty, where the practice served as a form of entertainment reserved only for nobility. Glove puppetry in Fujian and Quanzhou styles can still be performed at Chinese Buddhist temples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, or Taiwan and may have spawned newer traditions as well. Whatever the origin of puppetry, it is fairly certain that itinerant puppeteers from China took it to Korea and throughout Asia.ĭuring the Ming Dynasty there were 40 to 50 shadow show troupes in the city of Beijing alone. For example, we find Chinese shadow puppets and glove puppets in California where Chinese went to work on the Transcontinental Railway in the 19th century. ![]() Using an oil lamp they made her shadow move, bringing her back to life and the Emperor was satisfied. Animated using 11 separate pieces of the leather, and adorned with painted clothes. ![]()
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