Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of Ky Lan unicorn (or lion) character. Puppet is carved from wood with a large head painted gold, a wide nose, and a fierce moveable mouth barring white teeth. Eyes protrude from a scowling brow in front of a curling mane. Eyebrows are fan shaped and multicoloured, attached to the face by fishing line. The midsection is made of plastic tubing to enable movement, and covered by red cotton fabric. The rump of the animal is wood, with moveable yellow legs to each side and a raised tail of green and red curls at centre back. Tin is attached to the interior edges of the head and rump where they meet the red cotton midsection.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a fairy character. Puppet carved from wood, with a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold, red and green, and long gold and red earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and layered skirts, with a long gold and green panel at front. The puppet’s arms are wood, covered with wide sleeves of white polyester edged with coloured sequins. They are lifted by pulling on a thin plastic tube that emerges from the base.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a fairy character. Puppet carved from wood, with a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold, orange and green, and long gold and orange earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and layered skirts, with a long panel and bow at front. The puppet’s arms are wood, covered with wide sleeves of white polyester edged with coloured sequins. They are lifted by pulling on a thin plastic tube that emerges from the base.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a fairy character. Puppet carved from wood with a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold, red and green, and long gold and red earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and layered skirts, with a wooden bow at front. The puppet’s arms are wood covered with wide sleeves of white polyester edged with coloured sequins. They are lifted by pulling on a thin plastic tube that emerges from the base.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a fairy character. Puppet carved from wood, with a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold, red and green, and long gold and red earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and layered skirts, with a wooden bow at front. The puppet’s arms are wood covered with wide sleeves of white polyester edged with coloured sequins. They are lifted by pulling on a thin plastic tube that emerges from the base.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a princess character. Puppet carved from wood, with a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold, red and green, and long gold and red earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and an elaborate belt with leaf panels at each side and a long layered panel at front. The puppet’s arms are wood covered with long, wide sleeves of blue polyester. Thin plastic tube emerges from the base, likely used to lift the arms at one time.

Water puppet (mua roi nuoc) of a princess character. Puppet consists of the body (part a) and separated head (part b). Carved from wood, the puppet has a white face, carved facial features emphasized with paint, a crown of painted petals in gold with a green forehead ring, and long gold and red earrings. She wears a full length robe with decorated shoulders and chest, tiered colourful skirts and a long layered panel and bow at front. The puppet’s arms and hands are wood, covered with long sleeves of blue polyester. Arms are lifted by pulling on a thin plastic tube that emerges from the base.

Wayang hand puppet. The puppet, Un Kauw, has a human-like male head carved from wood, featuring sharp teeth emerging from below a pointed upper lip, a third eye on the forehead, two small faces protruding from behind each ear, and a small gold headdress perched on the receding black hair. Tall black boots are also carved from wood, as are the hands which are curved into fists with a hole bored through the centre. Legs are made from stuffed cotton, and the torso and arms of the puppet take the form of a cotton glove. The puppet’s robe has an upright collar, wide torso and sleeves, and a multi-paneled skirt hanging in front of the legs both front and back. The garment’s base colour is white, with heavy embroidery showing dragons, dragon scales, a butterfly at back, and decorative boarder motifs. The underside of the robe is lined with raw cotton.

An oval wood container (part b) with its ends stitched together by bark(?). There are two pegs at the sides which help to hold the lid (part a) in place. The object is painted with a yellow, gree, and black spiral design.

Museum Purchase: Helen and Franklin Drake and Elizabeth Cole Butler Auction Proceeds.