This article analyzes the painting "Skeleton Puppet Show" using theories of iconology, intertextuality, and transtextuality. Puppets and skeletons in literature and art represent both tragic and joyous aspects of human life. The painting conveys reflections on the significance of life through allusions to puppet symbolism in Chinese culture as well as a famous passage from the Zhuangzi featuring a conversation between Zhuang Zhou and a skull. Buddhist and Daoist traditions involving skeletons and skulls were also influences, expressing the idea of gaining new life through contemplating death.

1. 2005 3 73 125
1190-1230
-73-

2. 1
2
(iconology)
(intertextuality) (transtextuality)
(Julia Kristeva)
(Roland Barthes) (Gérard Genette)
3
1
65 1993 3 179-195
2 Erwin Panofsky, Meaning in the Visual Art (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982).
3 1999 1 15-
21 (Julia Kristeva) 2002
2003
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3. (icon)
4 5
(1137-
1213)
6
7
8 9
10
4 1978
14 83
5
44 3 1972 10 403-434
6
1991 47 2549 29556
1983
850 14 1a
7
8 1971 8 48
9 1994 84
103b
10
-75-

4. 1677
11
(1277-1348)
12
(1558-1639)
[1603]
13
(1621-1687)
14
1988 37
11 1962 1
42 829 5 7b
12
3
1997 1 634
1995 244
2 9b 268
13 1988
3 [1603] 450
14 83
-76-

5. 15
16
17
18 19
1365
1100-1125
(1200-1264)
20
15 1984
8 208-210
16 2 4
1938 12 1-8 1997 1
108-113
17
2002 12 24-27
2002 5 29-41
18 Wai-kam Ho, “The Literary Concepts of Picture-like (Ju-hua) and Picture-idea (Hua-i) in the
Relationship between Poetry and Painting,” in Alfreda Murck, C. Wen Fong, eds., Words and
Images: Chinese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, 1991), pp. 359-404.
19 Ellen Johnston Laing, “Li Sung and Some Aspects of Southern Sung Figure Paintings,” Artibus
Asiae 37.1-2 (1975): 5-38 2
1982 1 165-168+150
2.8 2003 53-58
20 4
1963 2 103
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6. 21
22
(1210)
(1211)
(1212)
(1640-1686)23
24
(1269-1354) (1354)
21 Chiang Chao-shen, “Some Album Leaves by Liu Sung-nien and Li Sung,” The National Palace
Museum Bulletin 1.4 (Sept. 1966)
1995 280-282
22 17 8 1999 11
36
23
1988
564
24
(The Nelson Gallery
and Atkins Museum)
-78-

7. 25
26
27
28
25 104a
1972 36
1985 51 210 97
2002 536
26 90 1993 10
48-65
27
1045 343 9a-10a
28 926 20
27b
-79-

8. 29
30
31
29
1993 6 504-505
1983 3 2290
30 1233
59b
31 7 194
-80-

9. 32
(1045-1105)
33
34
35
(1634-?)
36
32 103b-104a
33 17 997
11437
34 5 17-18
1232 7 9-10a
1985 15
24 1402 16130
35 1962 2 3
36 585 4 17a
-81-

10. 37 38
39
40
41 42 43
44 45
37 1 4 1934 1 286-291
38 1985 132-133
1997 3 88-
104
39 590 13 14a
40 1994
1984
41 1952
1995 5 27-31
42 17 1927 6
1-35 41 12 1970 12
367-369
43
1979 13
1985 416-465 1991
1996 4 87-105
44
2002
2003
45 64 1999 6
53-76
7 12 1979 5 158-181
-82-

11. 46
(32-92)
47
(734-812)
48
49
(974-1020)
50
51
52
(1053-1101)
46 1985 275
6 86
47 1995 11 13
3273
48 1988 4 146
3730
49
1995 123-150
50 3 122 1416
51 590 2 17a
52 1478 4a
-83-

12. (1196-1262)
53
54
(1314-1378)
55
56
57
58
(?-865)
59 60
[843] (833-909)
61
[1274]
53
1999 4 3519-3520
54 1228 4
3-4a
55 1998
19
56 1221
11 20b
57 1992
6 202 2116
8 12b-13a
58 72 3752 45241
59 1983 758 7870
60 766 7972
61 896 9355
-84-

13. 62
63
64
65
66
(1269-1325)
67
62
5 4344-4345
63 23 806
9099
64
1981 619-634
65 5
1992 712
66 17
1011 11553
67 64 3366 40179
-85-

14. 68
?-866 867
(1592-1659)
69
70
71
72
68 13
859
69 25
1987 34 740
17 2 1999 12 277-298
70 24 1402 16129
71
1365 8 42b
72 32 1849 20657
-86-

15. 73
74
(1194-1277)
75
73 1178
16 24b
74 3 25 80a
75 60 3150 37783
-87-

16. 76
(78-139)
77
(192-232)
78
76 1989 617-619
77 1985 393
93 23a
78 1958 2
18 1152
2001 3 23-26
-88-

17. 79
80 81
82
(1096-1158)
83
79
2003 2 99-144
2004
80
1999 315-326
2000 2 52-55
33 2003 8 18-22
81
118 1999 3 235-254
82 17 1024 11714
83 32 1849 20657
-89-

18. 84 85
86
87
88
89
90
84 1 20
124
85 21 90
86
1956 2975
1998 9-61
87 2000
5 1 7
88 814 2a
89 812 6 12
90 22
761 8639
-90-

19. 91
92
(1089-
93
1163)
94
1209
95
(1152-1210)
96
97
(344-413)
91 57 3017
35933
92 65 3431 40837
93 30 1724 19416
94
2000
95 65
3419 40651
96 22 1287 14599
97
1998 1 62-70
15 326c-327a
-91-

20. 98
(1112-1170)
99
100
101
(1123-1183) (1119-
1182)102
103
104
(1123-1185)
105
106
98 17 1985 5
47-63
1992 182-194
99
1985 43 10 500
100 13 10 526
101 2 434
102 4 124
103 1997
3 65
104 10 497
105 43 665
106
-92-

21. 107
(1194-?)
108
109
110
111
107
108 60
3139 37638
109
1931 1 27
110 29
111 1978 256-257
-93-

22. (1280-1354)
112
113
114
115
112 1215
1 816 6
11
113
2
114
1996 1 41-47+62
115
1963
1976 1986 1
12-20+11 14 1987 7 86-102
-94-

23. 116
116 1990 94-95
-95-

24. 1.
2.
-96-

25. 3.
117
(1620-1691) (1257-1314)
118 119
(1280-1358)
120
(1254-1322)
(1289-?)
1010-1090
121
117
118
1987 1227
119
1983 323
1998
408
120
1366
1-2
1273 21 12b-13a
121 824 16
2b
-97-

26. 122
123
124
1163-1164
125
(601-673)
126
696
122 Laing, “Li Sung and Some Aspects of Southern Sung Figure Paintings”: 11.
123 1996 91
124 85
125
2003 63
126 2001 558-561
-98-

27. 127
127 Laing, “Li Sung and Some Aspects of Southern Sung Figure Paintings”: 10-11.
-99-

28. -100-

29. -101-

30. -102-

31. -103-

32. -104-

33. -105-

34. -106-

35. -107-

36. -108-

37. -109-

38. -110-

39. -111-

40. (1209)
-112-

41. -113-

42. -114-

43. -115-

44. -116-

45. -117-

46. -118-

47. -119-

48. -120-

49. -121-

50. -122-

51. -123-

52. 1190-1230
(iconology) (intertextuality)
(transtextuality)
-124-

53. Skeleton Puppet Show: The Consciousness of Life in
Chinese Literature and Iconography
I Lo-fen
Using the painting “Skeleton Puppet Show” (attributed to Li Song [fl. 1190-
1230]) as an example, this article analyzes how artists conveyed their reflections on
and understanding of the significance of life.
In terms of iconology and theories of intertextuality or transtextuality, “puppet”
and “skeleton” embody distinct iconographic features. I trace these in literary, cultural
and iconographical representations to establish the contexts in which I interpret the
“Skeleton Puppet Show.”
Puppets and puppet shows embody two contradictory ideas: the “tragic” and the
“joyous.” Puppets resemble human beings in appearance, enabling them to serve as
effigies for sacrificial rituals, and also as children’s toys. Puppet shows are, on the one
hand, funeral rituals to remove impending ill fortune, and, on the other hand,
entertaining performances on joyous occasions. This synthesis of the tragic and the
joyous represents human life in miniature. Furthermore, the puppet, as depicted in
literature and religion, presents the issue of one’s independence and ways to avoid
control by others.
The conversation between Zhuang Zhou and the skull in the chapter “Ultimate
Joy” in the Zhuangzi presents a model for using the skull and skeleton to comment on
life and death, joy and sorrow—a model that had lasting influence on Chinese
literature. In Buddhist and Daoist traditions, the rituals of “skeleton laments,” the
practices of “skull meditation,” and the depiction of skeletons and skulls in paintings,
as ways to reach spiritual enlightenment, all express the idea of “regaining a new life
after being exposed to death.”
If life is like a puppet show, we are constantly switching our roles among
“audience,” “performers” and “puppets,” in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.
The skeletons in “Skeleton Puppet Show” go on playing even in death, a performance
that never ends.
Keywords: skeleton puppet show Li Song consciousness of life
puppet iconology intertextuality
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