Large 19th C. Burmese Painted Wood Puppet Head - Mar 02, 2017 | Artemis Gallery In Co
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Large 19th C. Burmese Painted Wood Puppet Head

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Large 19th C. Burmese Painted Wood Puppet Head
Large 19th C. Burmese Painted Wood Puppet Head
Item Details
Description
Southeast Asia, Burma (modern day Myanmar), ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A hand-carved and hand-painted traditional Burmese theater puppet head, probably carved from Gmelina arborea (yamanay) wood, with a high-peaked red hat with a scalloped brim and bowl-shaped crown, and long earflaps incised with curvilinear design motifs, and an expressive face with an articulated mouth and wide-open eyes inlaid with black and white glass. According to Dr. Tin Maung Kyi, a medical doctor as well as an expert on Burmese puppetry, each puppet is typically comprised of seventeen to nineteen pieces; the head and neck piece, the body in two pieces, a pair of arms in six pieces and a pair of legs in eight pieces. Burmese marionettes are incredibly intricate and dexterous as they require eighteen (for male characters) or nineteen (for female) wires, and even more amazingly, all of these wires are controlled by only one puppeteer. The size of the head determines the height of the puppet, and the hand-span (distance between the thumb and tip of middle finger) determines the circumference of the head. Clearly, this head belonged to a rather large puppet. The tradition of Burmese puppet theater (yoke thay) originated in the 15th century CE and saw its peak in popularity in the 19th century. The performances would last all night and shows called upon the talents of puppeteers, singers, and musicians. Each puppet is danced in its own particular manner. A Burmese marionette troupe involves twenty-seven characters, including a king, a prince and a princess, animals such as horse, elephant, tiger, monkey and parrot, ministers, buffoons, and various mythical characters. This puppet appears to represent a human character rather than a mythical being, possibly a minister/narrator. Custom wood stand. A fabulous example from this cherished Burmese tradition. Size: 7.25" L x 8.25" W x 13.5" H (18.4 cm x 21 cm x 34.3 cm); 18.5" H (47 cm) on stand.

For additional information about Burmese puppetry see the following sources: Bruns, A.: Burmesische Marionettenkunst 2000, Bangkok (Ph.D.Thesis); Cowell, E.B.: The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha's former births 1969, London: Luzac & Co; Ma Thanegi: The illusion of life. Burmese marionnettes 1994, Bangkok: White Orchid Press; and Singer, N.F.: Burmese Puppets, 1992, Singapore, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Provenance: Ex-Private Boulder, CO collection acquired at Indochine Gallery

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#117807
Condition
General surface wear and pigment losses. Top of hat reattached. Repaired fissure down left side running from hat to neck with repainting. Stable age cracks, nicks to eye inlays, and chips to peripheries as shown.
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Large 19th C. Burmese Painted Wood Puppet Head

Estimate $900 - $1,400
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Starting Price $450
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Artemis Gallery

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