String Puppet
Item number Eh146 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia.
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This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.
Description
Three-dimensional female puppet representing the daughter of a farmer family. Head (part b) fits into body clothed in shirt and skirt (part a). The body has jointed arms and legs, and plant fibre that has been dyed blue-green represents the hair. The figure is also wearing one earring on her right ear, and her feet are reversed. Skirt is a yellow, pink and green floral print on a geometric square and grid patterned blue background. Shirt is purple with white dots grouped in circles.
History Of Use
Lifelike in appearance, the striking rukada (string puppets) of Sri Lanka perform stories about ritual practices and everyday life. There is no scripted play, the puppeteers improvise in their storytelling. The characters, in dress, gesture, and action, express social hierarchies and gender roles: the king and the prince; the politician and the village headman; the policeman and the servant boy; and a family of farmers (Farmer, son, wife, daughter). There are also character archetypes such as the sanmi (disease) demon dancer, emaciated beggar with elephantiasis, and jesters in colourful costumes who comically announce the beginning and end of the show (from Shadows, Strings & Other Things, 2019).
Item History
- Made in Galle, Sri Lanka during 1950
- Collected during 1983
- Owned by Jason Schoonover before January 31, 1984
- Received from Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Jason Schoonover (Seller) on January 31, 1984
What
- Name
- String Puppet
- Identification Number
- Eh146 a-b
- Type of Item
- puppet
- Material
- wood, cotton fibre ? and paint
- Overall
- height 106.0 cm, width 30.0 cm, depth 16.5 cm
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Galle, Sri Lanka
Who
- Culture
- Sinhalese
- Previous Owner
- Jason Schoonover
- Received from
- Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Jason Schoonover (Seller)
When
- Creation Date
- during 1950
- Collection Date
- during 1983
- Ownership Date
- before January 31, 1984
- Acquisition Date
- on January 31, 1984
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0943/0005
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