SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

CBC 2022: DRAMA

HISTORY AND PROCESS OF ‘PUPPET-SHADOW PLAY

PREPARED BY:

ANDI NUR ELISYA SYAHIRA BINTI BAHRI

(AIU18092007)

PREPARED FOR:

MR MOHAMAD NOR HISYAM MUSA

SUBMISSION DATE:

22 MARCH 2021

(MONDAY)
 During the Tang (618 - 907) and Song (960 - 1279) dynasties, shadow puppetry, also
known as Shadow Play, was very popular in many parts of China. Shadow puppets were first
made out of paper sculpture, then later out of donkey or oxen leather. Because of this, their
Chinese name is Pi Ying, which means "leather shadows."
A favourite concubine of Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty died of illness more than
2,000 years ago, and the emperor missed her so much that he lost his ability to rule. One day,
a minister saw kids playing with dolls in a room with bright shadows on the floor. After
watching this scene, the wise minister had an idea. He painted the concubine and made a cotton
puppet of her. He summoned the Emperor to see a puppet show behind a rear-illuminated
curtain as night fell. The emperor was overjoyed and jumped right in. According to the official
history book, this is thought to be the origin of shadow puppetry.
Politics had everything to do with shadow puppetry. During Emperor Kangxi's reign in
Beijing, for example, this folk art was so common that one prince's mansion had eight well-
paid puppeteers. When the Manchu rulers extended their rule throughout China, they carried
the puppet show with them to compensate for the fact that they could not enjoy local
entertainment due to language barriers Chinese Shadow Puppetry. To avoid the spread of
peasant revolt at the time, the government prohibited the public display of puppet shows from
1796 to 1800. It wasn't until 1821 that shadow puppet shows started to gain attention. Today,
the film, like other traditional art forms such as Nuo Drama, is on the verge of extinction.
Shadow puppetry's lingering music, exquisite sculpture, brisk colour, and vivid
performance win the audience's hearts. A shadow puppet troupe, also known as the "company
of the five," is made up of five individuals. This singer takes on all of the roles in the puppet
show, which is no simple task. The play takes place on a white cloth screen, which is projected
with the shadows of flat puppets. Shadow Puppetry in China Shadow puppets resemble paper-
cut puppets, but their joints are bound by string, enabling them to move freely. With operator
assistance, a puppet will smoke and breathe out a smoke ring C, for example. At the same time,
the operator controls five puppets, each with three threads.
Shadow puppets use distortion and heavy dramatization to get around the limitation of
only being able to see the profile of the puppets. Puppets' faces and costumes are colorful and
amusing. The flowery paint, elegant sculpting, and smooth lines turn the puppets into more
than just props. Shadow puppets use distortion and heavy dramatization to get around the
limitation of only being able to see the profile of the puppets. Puppets' faces and costumes are
colorful and amusing. The flowery paint, elegant sculpting, and smooth lines turn the puppets
into more than just props.
 The making of puppets is usually made by the mastermind. This is because the
Mastermind wants to present puppets according to their own creativity. A mastermind needs
to have creativity and ingenuity in creating his own characters and each character that is
produced should have an interesting and appropriate design art to match in the story he wants
to present.

Among the processes for making puppets are:

1. Cowhide is dried to dry.
The cleaned cow or goat skin will be soaked in a mixture of salt, pepper, galangal and
lemongrass for a few days and then dried using a peg in the corner. After making sure
that the skin is completely dry and odorless, the hairs on the dry skin will be scraped
off with a piece of glass until clean.
2. The skin is pierced using paper circles.
The paper that has been drawn with the face of the puppet character will be applied to
the cleaned skin. Usually use thin paper to make it easier to pierce the puppet cover.
This is where the creativity and authority of a mastermind lies to form a puppet
according to the character he wants to present. Each shade and line of perforated holes
has its specific function and the resulting characters have their own distinct aesthetic
identity.
3. Bamboo, rope and dye.
Bamboo as a shielding material is carefully ripped and tied with a rope to the skin that
has been pierced. Ropes are used to make movements on the lips, hands and other limbs
required on the statue. This rope will be tied when the statue is ready to be coloured
according to the characters depicted through certain stories. Commonly used colours
are from fabric dyes and water colours. The work of colouring this puppet requires
creativity, talent and patience.