String Puppet Item Number: Eh149 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Three-dimensional male humanoid puppet (jester character): head (part b) fits into body clothed in a shirt and pants with floral print and multicoloured pom-poms and a short red skirt (part a). The body has jointed arms and legs. The figure's head, hands and feet are painted pink, and the figure has long hair and a beard of undyed plant fibre. The figure is holding a stick with orange-brown feathers in his right hand.

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. 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

What

Name
String Puppet
Identification Number
Eh149 a-b
Type of Item
puppet
Material
wood, cotton fibre ?, paint and feather
Overall
height 77.5 cm, width 28.0 cm, depth 21.5 cm

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
0943/0008