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Description

Head of a female Bunraku theatre puppet (part a) with stand (part b). She has a white oval-shaped face, long white neck and elaborate black coiffure. She has a wide nose, large light grey eyes and her eyebrows are light blue. Her lips are painted dark red, teeth are black. Her hair is pulled back into three buns. Front bun is secured with cord, and the centre bun is held in place with a kushi (comb) and kogai (hair tool). Both are made of black lacquered wood with iridescent plastic decorations embedded in them. Designs are floral and coloured red, light purple, white, light pink and light blue. The bottom bun is secured with a two-pronged, gold-coloured metal hair pin. The top has a circular medallion with a floral motif. The head is attached to a wooden rod with a handgrip. Two cords, with toggles, run through the grip, and into the head, to control neck and eye movement. The grip fits into a wooden stand (part b), supporting the head at an angle.

Iconographic Meaning

Bunraku theatre puppet head (kashira) representing the character of a young woman.

Specific Techniques

The face is decorated with gofun, a white pigment made from pulverized oyster shells.

History Of Use

Bunraku puppetry consists of three elements: text chanted by the tayū or narrator, the music played by the three-string shamisen, and the large puppets that execute the action of the characters, manipulated by visible animators. This theatrical form emerged during the early Edo Period, when puppetry was coupled with Johruri, a popular 15th century narrative genre. The plots related in this new form derived from two principal sources: historical plays set in feudal times (Jidaimono) and contemporary dramas exploring the conflict between affairs of the heart and social obligation (Sewamono). In 17th century Japan small puppets were manipulated by puppeteers on outstretched arms, but in c. 1730, the three-man manipulation system was adopted, allowing the puppet size to grow. The technique was developed by Yoshida Bunzaburō, master puppeteer of the Takemoto-za, and required three manipulations: the master (omozukai) controlling the wooden head and puppet’s right hand; the first assistant (hidarizukai) holding the left hand; and the second assistant (ashizukai) controlling the puppet’s feet. Bunraku puppets are usually manipulated by three puppeteers. On occasion, minor characters- soldiers, peasants, servants etc.- are controlled by a single person. The puppeteers dress in black and are masked, but the master puppeteer often leaves his face showing and wears formal dress, similar to the tayū. The carved wood head of the puppet is fixed to the end of a rod, which descends from the neck. At the handgrip there are small levers that move parts of the face. The central rod passes through a sack, that forms the body, with a horizontal crosspiece representing the shoulders, which holds up the character’s costume. The limbs of the puppet are suspended from cords attached to the shoulder crosspiece. Thick strips of paper run from the shoulders to the curved strip of bamboo that acts as a waist. A rod is attached to each hand, allowing for articulation of the fingers. The foot manipulator moves the legs of the male puppets with handgrips attached to the figure’s heels. He simulates the steps of the female puppets by manipulating the hem of their kimonos. With his own stomps the foot manipulator creates the sounds of walking and running for the puppet. If the scene needs a female foot to become visible, a detached foot is supplied at the needed moment. Accessories- swords, fans etc.- are held directly in the puppeteer’s hand, which remains hidden in the puppet’s kimono. Puppet heads correspond to fundamental types rather than specific characters. They are classed by sex and social status- young lead, warrior, old man, young female etc.- and are split between “positive” and “negative” characters. Some heads are constructed to execute spectacular effects- faces that split into two to show a demonic personality or heads that split vertically with the strong slash of a sword. The heads are lacquered and coiffed with elaborate wigs, showing the rank and social status of the puppet represented. In 2008, Ningyo Johruri Bunraku puppet theatre was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.