String Puppet Item Number: Eh167 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Three-dimensional female humanoid puppet (Servant girl character): head (part b) fits into body clothed in a shirt and skirt (part a). The body has jointed arms and legs. The shirt is made of off-white fabric with a brown and dark blue cross pattern on the bodice, and sleeves that have the same pattern on the bottom half and a band of smaller dark blue crescents with slightly larger brown crescents on the top half. The skirt has a floral pattern in orange, red, pink, off-white and black. Dyed purple-grey plant fibre represents hair. The figure's right hand is clasped, and the left hand is flat.
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; servant girl; 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
Who
- Culture
- Sinhalese
- Previous Owner
- Jason Schoonover
- Received from
- Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Jason Schoonover (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Galle, Sri Lanka
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
- 0943/0025 a-b