ENG-1976 — Page 190

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The Ancient Art

One of the oldest theatre forms in Asia is the art of puppetry and Hong Kong is fortunate in having several 'masters' of the various styles-which involve glove, string, stick, and shadow puppets. Per- formances are given throughout the year and, like Chinese opera, they can be seen all over Hong Kong, from City Hall to village square. Shadow puppets are usually made from translucent leather, slender sticks and thread, and they cast shadows. of heroes, mythical beasts and devils from ancient Chinese tales onto a silk screen. They are the most articulated of any pup- pets in the world, but the precise means of manipulation is a closely guarded secret which is passed on only from father to son. Chinese glove puppets, like string and stick puppets, are invariably costumed in bright silks and jewels, and their heads are traditionally of camphorwood, intricately carved and painted. The puppet perform- ances given in Hong Kong are virtually the same as those given centuries ago, with the various roles in the legendary or his- torical sagas being spoken or sung by the puppeteers, usually accompanied by sim- ilar music to that used in Chinese opera.

Previous page: A master puppeteer, un- seen by the audience, presents a Cantonese puppet show at a playground in Aberdeen. Left: These puppet heads illustrate the detail and quality of Chinese puppets, which are classed among the finest in the world.