Indian tradition, culture and society

1. PUPPETRY
ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT FORMS
OF THEATRE.

2. Began around 30,000 YEARS BC
•Used in most human
societies
•Communicate ideas and
needs
•Probably pre-date actors in
Theatre
•A great deal of puppetry
involves storytelling

3. EGYPT
•2000 BC
•String operated figures used to knead bread
•Wire controlled, articulated puppets of clas and ivory
found in Egyptian tombs
•Hieroglyphs describe “walking statues” in religious
rituals
•Earliest written records: Xenophone 422BC

4. ASIA
•Indus valley
Civilization
•String Controllable
Terracotta dolls-2500
BC
•Stick puppet animals
•The Mahabharata and
other literature describe
puppets

5. INDIA
•Probably the birthplace of puppets
•4000 years ago
•Sanskrit plays – “Sutradhara” (the holder of strings)
•Puppetry described in detail in the Natya Shastra
and the Kamasutra
•Influenced the Javanese Wayang theatre

6. TYPES OF PUPPETS
Hand Puppets
Marionettes
Finger Puppets
Rod Puppets
Shadow Puppets
Other Styles of Puppets

7. HAND PUPPETS
Hand puppets are
placed over the
puppeteer's hand,
allowing him to
manipulate the
puppet's features
(head, mouth,
hands, etc.) with
his fingers.

8. MOUTH PUPPETS
Mouth puppets are usually
glove/hand puppets – the
thing that distinguishes
them is a moveable mouth.
Fingers and thumb are
inserted into the top and
bottom of the puppet
mouth to manipulate it as
if it were talking. Many of
the Muppets are mouth
puppets.

9. GLOVE PUPPETS
Glove puppets are hand
puppets. The glove puppet
fits over the hand like a
glove with openings for the
different puppet parts to
manipulated separately with
different fingers and the
thumb. It can also be a
collection of finger puppets
with each finger operating a
different puppet. Or it can
be a simple puppet that sits
on the hand and “crawls”
along the floor.

10. SOCK PUPPETS
Another simple type of
puppet, often made for
children, is the sock
puppet. It is also a form of
hand or glove puppet but
is made from a sock, or
made to look so. It is then
decorated with eyes, hair,
and other features to give
it personality. It is operated
using the fingers and the
thumb to open and close
the mouth or allow it to
have expression.

11. FINGER PUPPETS
Finger puppets are very
small puppets that fit
over a single finger.
They aren't as articulate
as other puppets, but
their size permits a
number of them to be
operated by the same
puppeteer.

12. ROD PUPPETS
Rod puppets use sticks
Or metal rods to move
The head, body, hands
and legs of the figure.
The rods are
usually manipulated
from beneath the
puppet.

13. MAROTTE PUPPETS
The marotte is the most
elementary form of rod
puppet. Originally, the word
marotte referred to a jester’s
stick: a wand topped with a
head that was trimmed with
ribbons and bells.
Today, the term marotte
refers to a puppet controlled
from below with a single
central rod.

14. POP UP PUPPETS
Another style of rod puppet is
the pop up puppet. A cone or
cup with a rod through it and a
puppet hidden inside. When the
rod is pushed up, the puppet
appears. It is similar in style to a
jack-in-the-box.

15. PADDLE PUPPETS
Another simple puppet, is a
paddle puppet. The puppet
is a body attached to a
paddle with an extension
that is controlled by the
puppeteer. The puppet is
articulated and connected
with string or elastic bands.
When the extension is
worked, the puppet moves
or dances.

16. SHOULDER PUPPETS
These puppets can be simple
or complex. They are related
to rod puppets but are
controlled by a cable instead
of a rod. They are more recent
in design than most puppets
and can even be controlled
remotely.
They are very popular at
Renaissance fairs. The cable
runs down the operator’s arm
and can be pulled as desired.
Additional movements can be

17. MARIONETTES
Marionettes are
controlled by a series of
strings or wires
attached to the puppet's
limbs and suspended by
a wooden cross. The
puppeteer manipulates
the cross and strings to
make the puppet move.

18. VENTRILOQUIST PUPPETS
Just don't call it a dummy! Ventriloquism is lots of fun, but it
too takes a great deal of practice. The puppet has a slotted
mouth that works on a trigger. A good vent figure will also
have multiple eye movement and eyebrows.

19. MUPPET PUPPETS
Muppets are puppets created in 1955
by Jim Henson, they are the
namesake for the Disney media
franchise that encompasses films,
television series, music recordings,
print publications, and other media
associated with The Muppet
Show characters. Henson once stated
that the term "Muppet" had been
created as a blend of the words
"marionette" and "puppet". Most are a
combination of mouth and rod
puppetry