Basic Introduction to Huan County Shadow Puppetry
Shadow puppetry is an ancient folk art of the Han nationality. It originated over two thousand years ago during the Western Han Dynasty, also known as the Sheepskin Play or colloquially as Human Head Play, Shadow Play, or Oxhide Lantern Shadow. It originated in Shaanxi Province, China, matured in the Qin-Jin-Yu region during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and was most prevalent in Hebei during the Qing Dynasty.
Product Characteristics
The shadow puppets are characterized by their handsome and generous shapes, with bold and clear outer contours; the engraving is delicate and fluid.
Historical Folklore
Over two thousand years ago, Emperor Wu of Han's beloved concubine Lady Li fell ill and passed away. The emperor was so distraught that he became detached from his senses and neglected state affairs. One day, Minister Li Shaoweng came across a child playing with a cloth doll, whose shadow cast on the ground was vividly lifelike. Inspired, Li Shaoweng cut out an image of Lady Li from cotton fabric, painted it with colors, and attached wooden rods to its limbs. At night, he set up a square curtain, lit candles, and invited the emperor to sit inside and watch. The emperor was delighted and became infatuated with it. This love story recorded in the “Han Shu” (Book of Han) is considered the earliest origin of shadow puppetry.
Production Method
The process of making shadow puppets involves first cleaning the hair and blood off sheepskin, donkey skin, or other animal skins, then treating them with chemicals to make the leather thin and translucent, applying tung oil, and finally carving out the required character images. The head, limbs, and torso of the shadow figure are separate but connected with threads, allowing them to be manipulated by rods controlled by the performer to create movement. The figures are painted in various colors to denote good, evil, beauty, and ugliness. When carving, generally positive relief carving is used, sometimes negative relief carving, with intricate detail and varied knife techniques. There are specific rules for painting and coloring; women's hairstyles and clothing patterns often feature flowers, grass, clouds, and phoenixes, while men's patterns commonly include dragons, tigers, water, and clouds. Loyal characters typically have a five-part face, while villains have seven-part faces. The characters are designed similarly to theatrical roles, with full representation of the different types: sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted-face male), mo (old male), and chou (clown). The finished shadow puppets can range in height from 55 cm down to just 10 cm. Performers manipulate the puppets behind a translucent white screen, accompanied by narration and music, bringing the story to life with sound and color.