Chinese Shadow Theatre figures

Shadow play (Chinese: 皮影戏, pi ying xi) is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes. The art form is sometimes called shadow puppetry or shadow theatre when shown under a grand presentation. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 778 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2590 × 1996 pixel, file size: 749 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Chinese Shadow Play Figures Two warriors; Qianlong Set; approx. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 778 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2590 × 1996 pixel, file size: 749 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Chinese Shadow Play Figures Two warriors; Qianlong Set; approx. ... For the 2001 film, see Storytelling (film) Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in words, images, and sounds. ... A stilt-walker entertaining shoppers at a shopping centre in Swindon, England Entertainment is an event, performance, or activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience (although, for example, in the case of a computer game the audience may be only one person). ... Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. ...

Chinese

Mainland China

Shadow play originated during the Han Dynasty when one of Emperor Wu of Han's concubines died. The emperor was devastated, and he summoned his court officers to bring his beloved back to life. The officers made a shape of the concubine using donkey leather. Her joints were animated using 11 separate pieces of the leather, and adorned with painted clothes. Using an oil lamp they made her shadow move, bringing her back to life^[1][2]. Shadow theatre became quite popular as early as the Song Dynasty when holidays were marked by the presentation of many shadow plays. During the Ming Dynasty there were 40 to 50 shadow show troupes in the city of Beijing alone. In the 13th century, the shadow show became a regular recreation in the barracks of the Mongolian troops. It was spread by the conquering Mongols to distant countries like Persia, Arabia, and Turkey. Later, it was introduced to other Southeastern Asian countries^[3]. The earliest shadow theatre screens were made of mulberry paper. The storytellers generally used the art to tell events between various war kingdoms or stories of Buddhist sources^[1]. Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... Emperor Wu of Han (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), (156 BC[1]–March 29, 87 BC), personal name Liu Che (劉徹), was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty in China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under... A swampy marsh area ... Antique bronze oil lamp with Christian symbol (replica) A terra-cotta oil lamp, Antique oil lamp (replica) An oil lamp is a simple vessel used to produce light continuously for a period of time from a fuel source. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... A troupe is a theatre company of touring actors, singers and/or dancers. ... Peking redirects here. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Rice paper usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or rice flour. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...

Today, puppets made of leather and moved on sticks are used to tell dramatic versions of traditional fairy tales and myths. In Gansu province, it is accompanied by Daoqing music, while in Jilin, accompanying Huanglong music forms some of the basis of modern opera.^[3] Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. ... Gansu (Simplified Chinese: 甘肃; Traditional Chinese: 甘肅; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kan-su, Kansu, or Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Gansu is a region in northwest China. ...   (Chinese: ; Pinyin: Jílín; Wade-Giles: Chi-lin; Postal System Pinyin: Kirin; Manchu: Girin ula), is a province of the Peoples Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. ... Jilin is a northeastern province of China. ...

Chinese shadow theater is shown in the 1994 Zhang Yimou film To Live. Zhang Yimou (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ;  ) (born November 14, 1951) is an internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker and one-time cinematographer. ... Not to be confused with the Japanese film Ikiru, which also translates as To Live. To Live (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) is a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou in 1994, starring Ge You and Gong Li and produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and ERA International. ...

Taiwan

The origins of Taiwan's shadow puppetry can be traced to the Chaochow school of shadow puppet theater. Commonly known as leather monkey shows or leather shows, the shadow plays were popular in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung as early as the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.). Older puppeteers estimate that there were at least a hundred shadow puppet troupes in southern Taiwan in the closing years of the Qing. Traditionally, the eight to 12-inch puppet figures, and the stage scenery and props such as furniture, natural scenery, pagodas, halls, and plants are all cut from leather. As shadow puppetry is based on light penetrating through a translucent sheet of cloth, the "shadows" are actually silhouettes seen by the audience in profile or face on. Taiwan's shadow plays are accompanied by Chaochow melodies which are often called "priest's melodies" owing to their similarity with the music used by Taoist priests at funerals. A large repertoire of some 300 scripts of the southern school of drama used in shadow puppetry and dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries has been preserved in Taiwan and is considered to be a priceless cultural asset. Tainan is the name of a city and a county in southwestern Taiwan. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country Region City seat Lingya District (苓雅區) Government  - Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) Area  - Total 154 km² (59. ... Night Market, 2005. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ...

Terminology

A number of terms are used to describe the different forms.

• (皮影戏, pi ying xi) is a shadow theatre using leather puppets. The figures are usually moved behind a thin screen and is not entirely a show of shadows as it is more of a silhouette shadow. This gives the figures some color, and is not 100% black and white.
• (纸影戏, zhi ying xi) is paper shadow theatre.
• (中國影戏) is Chinese shadow theatre.

France

The show began to spread to Europe in the mid-18th century, when French missionaries in China took it back to France in 1767 and put on performances in Paris and Marseilles, causing quite a stir. In time, the Ombres Chinoises (French for "Chinese shadows") with local modification and embellishment, became the Ombres Francaises and struck root in the country^[3]. This article is about the capital of France. ... Marseilles redirects here. ...

The art was a popular entertainment in Paris during the 19th century, especially in the famous nightclub district of Montmartre. The tradition in France dates back to at least the mid-18th century when it was brought back by travellers to the Orient. The puppeteer Dominique Séraphin first presented the spectacle in Paris in 1776, and in Versailles in 1781. Montmartre seen from the centre Georges Pompidou (1897), a painting by Camille Pissarro of the boulevard that led to Montmartre as seen from his hotel room. ... This article is about the city of Versailles. ...

The cabaret Le Chat Noir ("The Black Cat") produced a number of popular Ombres Chinoises shows in the 1880s, using up to 20 assistants and a large, oxy-hydrogen back-lit performance area. The Ombres evolved into numerous theatrical productions and had a major influence on phantasmagoria.^[4] Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Tournée du Chat Noir, 1896, 135. ... // Knallgas redirects here. ... Phantasmagoria has many meanings. ...

Indonesia

In Indonesia (notably Java and Bali), shadow puppet plays are known as wayang kulit. In Javanese, Wayang means shadow or imagination, while Kulit means skin and refers to the leather that puppets are made from. Stories presented are usually mythical & morality tales. There is an educational moral to the plays which usually portray a battle between good and evil, with good always winning and evil running away (but eventually to return). The Indonesian shadow plays are sometimes considered one of the earliest examples of animation. Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... This article is about the Indonesian island. ... Wayang is the Indonesian term for puppet, and the term refers to any and all of the numerous varieties of puppetry found in the archipelago. ... Javanese is a term used to describe a native of the Indonesian island of Java. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ...

The puppets are made primarily of leather and manipulated with sticks or buffalo horn handles. Shadows are cast using an oil lamp or, in modern times, a halogen light, onto a cotton cloth background. They are often associated with gamelan drum music (or Pinpeat orchestral in Cambodia). Shadow plays are very popular even today. They are performed during sacred temple ceremonies, at private functions, and for the public in the villages. A performance can last all night long, sometimes up to six hours or until dawn. Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. ... For the controversy at the University of Pennsylvania, see Water buffalo incident. ... Antique bronze oil lamp with Christian symbol (replica) A terra-cotta oil lamp, Antique oil lamp (replica) An oil lamp is a simple vessel used to produce light continuously for a period of time from a fuel source. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... Gamelan - Indonesian Embassy in Canberra A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings, and vocalists may also be included. ... The pinpeat orchestra or musical ensemble performs the ceremonial music of the former courts and temples of Cambodia. ...

UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2003. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Thailand

Shadow theatre in Thailand is called Nang Yai; in the south there is a tradition called Nang Ta Lung. Nang Yai puppets are normally made of cowhide and rattan. Performances are normally accompanied by a combination of songs and chants. Performances in Thailand were temporarily suspended in 1960 due to a fire at the national theatre. Nang drama has influenced modern Thai cinema, including filmmakers like Cherd Songsri and Payut Ngaokrachang. ^[5] Nang drama is a form of shadow play found in Thailand. ... Cowhides are natural products and a by product of the food industry from cows. ... Genera Calamus Calospatha Ceratolobus Daemonorops Eremospatha Eugeissonia Korthalsia Laccosperma Metroxylon Myrialepis Oncocalamus Pigafetta Plectocomia Plectomiopsis Raphia Zalacca Zalacella Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. ... The cinema of Thailand has a history that stretches back to early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorns 1897 visit to Berne, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. ... A poster for Plae Chow (The Old Scar), Cherd Songsris best-known film. ... The Adventure of Sud Sakorn is Thailands first (and only) cel-animated feature film. ...

The Ottoman Shadow Play and its Turkish and Greek descendents

The Turkish tradition of shadow play called Karagöz and Hacivat was widespread throughout the Ottoman Empire and featured characters representing all of the major ethnic and social groups in that culture.^[6][7] It was performed by a single puppet master, who voiced all of the characters, and accompanied by a classical Ottoman music ensemble. Its origins are obscure, deriving perhaps from an older Egyptian tradition, or possibly from an Asian source. Hacivat (left) and Karagöz (right) Karagöz (meaning blackeye in Turkish) and Hacivat (also written Hacivad) are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period. ...

During the 19th century these characters were adapted to the Greek language and culture, Karagöz and Hacivat becoming Karagiozis and Hadjiavatis with each of the characters assuming stereotypically Greek personalities. This tradition thrived throughout Greece after independence as popular entertainment for a largely adult audience, particularly before competition arose from television. The stories did, however, retain the period setting in the late years of the Ottoman Empire. Karagiozis theatre has undergone some revival in recent years, with the intended audience tends largely juvenile. ^[8] Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Karagöz (a Turkish compound noun where kara means black and göz means eye) is a traditional Turkish character which roots back to the Ottoman Empire. ... Hacivat is a fictional character from Turkish Theatre of shadows. ... Karagiozis (Greek: Καραγκιόζης, from Turkish: Karagöz) is a shadow puppet and fictional character of Greek traditional folklore inspired from an Ottoman Turkish counterpart who was known as Karagöz. ... Karagiozis (Greek: Καραγκιόζης, from Turkish: Karagöz) is a shadow puppet and fictional character of Greek traditional folklore inspired from an Ottoman Turkish counterpart who was known as Karagöz. ...

Shadow puppetry today

Shadow theater is still popular in many parts of Asia. Prahlad Acharya is one famous Indian magician who incorporates shadow theater into his work. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Shadow theatre has influenced some modern Japanese Manga. For example, the Shadow Girls ("A-ko" and "B-ko") in Revolutionary Girl Utena are portrayed entirely in silhouette, as though they were created by shadow puppets. This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Serialized in Ciao Original run 1996 – 1997 Volumes 5 TV anime Director Kunihiko Ikuhara Studio J.C.Staff Network TV Tokyo Original run April 2, 1997 – December 24, 1997 Episodes 39 Movie: The Adolescence of Utena Director Kunihiko Ikuhara Studio J.C.Staff Released 1999 Runtime 80 min. ...

It also appears occasionally in Western popular culture, for example in: For this articles equivalent regarding the East, see Eastern culture. ... Popular culture, sometimes abbreviated to pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ...

• The children's television show Bear in the Big Blue House
• The staging of the Rock Island tour from Jethro Tull
• The short film Humdrum, released in 1998
• The 2002 horror film Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary
• Entertainer Bablu Mallick used shadow play as his act during various TV appearances in the 1980s, including on Paul Daniels Magic Show^[9].

Bear in the Big Blue House is a television program for young children produced for the Disney Channel by The Jim Henson Company. ... Rock Island is an album by the British progressive rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1989. ... For the 18th-century agriculturist after whom the band was named, see Jethro Tull (agriculturist). ... Humdrum is an animated short film directed by Peter Peake. ... The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. ... Paul Daniels (born Newton Edward Daniels, 6 April 1938) is a British magician and television performer. ...

Gallery

Wayang kulit as seen by the audience ImageMetadata File history File links WayangKulit_Scene_Zoom. ... Wayang is the Indonesian term for puppet, and the term refers to any and all of the numerous varieties of puppetry found in the archipelago. ...

Wayang kulit puppet in Bali, Indonesia Download high resolution version (781x1054, 204 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wayang is the Indonesian term for puppet, and the term refers to any and all of the numerous varieties of puppetry found in the archipelago. ... This article is about the Indonesian island. ...

Karagöz and Hacivat Image File history File links Karagoez-davul-Hacivat-zurna. ... Karagöz (a Turkish compound noun where kara means black and göz means eye) is a traditional Turkish character which roots back to the Ottoman Empire. ... Hacivat is a fictional character from Turkish Theatre of shadows. ...

Shadow puppet from Kelantan. Image File history File links Shadow_puppet170. ... State motto: Berserah kepada Tuhan Kerajaan Kelantan State anthem: Selamat Sultan Capital (and royal capital) Kota Bharu Ruling party PAS  - Sultan Tuanku Ismail Petra  - Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat History    - Siamese control 1603   - British control 1909   - Japanese occupation 1942-1946   - Accession into Federation of Malaya 1948  Area  - Total 14...

Media

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Missouri System is the designated public research and land-grant university system of the state of Missouri. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Shadow play

• Wayang Kulit Video
• The History of the Discovery of Cinematography An Illustrated Chronology