Tracing the Origins of Chinese Shadow Puppetry Figures

Chinese shadow puppetry is an important cultural content of folk opera in China. It belongs to the category of puppetry and is a form of traditional folk opera with a long history and significant cultural status. Chinese shadow puppetry has various types and significant cultural variations. Different regions have different names for shadow puppetry， different puppet scripts， puppet figures， forms of puppet performances， and singing styles， and materials and carving techniques used for puppet figure design and craftsmanship are also varied widely. These variations give each regional shadow puppetry in China distinctive regional characteristics.

The earliest record of the concepts and materials related to shadow puppetry figures in China is from the Song Dynasty.

According to Song Dynasty records， the earliest shadow puppets in Northern Song Dynasty were made from uncolored paper， known as “plain paper carved puppets.” Since the origins of Chinese shadow puppetry figures can be traced back to paper cutting， it can also be traced back to the ancient folk customs of women cutting paulownia leaves， decorative paper cuttings， and gold foil ornaments. After the invention of papermaking， various forms of folk paper cuttings emerged， including window flower decorations， embroidery patterns， decorative flowers on gift boxes， paper cut figures used by monks and Taoists for offering and salvation ceremonies， and paper cut figures used in and on revolving scenic lanterns from the Tang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty， shadow puppetry gained popularity and evolved into articulated paper puppets. The early shadow puppets mentioned in Song Dynasty records were “plain paper carved puppets，” which also belonged to a form of paper cutting. They were articulated puppets specifically designed for performing dramatic scenes.

After the turmoil of the Jingkang Incident in the Song Dynasty， the shadow puppetry from Bianliang （the capital） also arrived in Hangzhou （known as Lin’an）， along with the migration of the Song imperial court and refugees. With the prosperity of Hangzhou， shadow puppetry flourished， and the industry formed guilds known as “Huige League，” in which “huige” means “leather painting.” In Zhou Mi’s “Stories of Wulin” of the Song Dynasty， there is a mention of “xiaojingji，” which refers to the profession of carving and engraving shadow puppets. This indicates that from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty， shadow puppetry experienced new developments. During the Southern Song Dynasty， shadow puppetry began to use painted sheepskin instead of paper for the puppets. The advantage of using leather puppets was their durability， and sheepskin had higher transparency compared to paper， allowing for the creation of colored portraits. This increased the visual appeal of the performances. As a result， leather shadow puppetry became the main type of shadow puppetry.

During the Song Dynasty， there were various forms of shadow puppetry， including paper shadow puppetry， sheepskin shadow puppetry， grand shadow puppetry， small shadow puppetry， hand shadow puppetry， and Qiao shadow puppetry.

Paper shadow puppetry and sheepskin shadow puppetry were popular forms of shadow puppetry during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties， respectively.

Grand shadow puppetry and small shadow puppetry referred to the different sizes of shadow puppets used at that time. The Southern Song opera repertoire also included a tune called “Da Ying Xi” （Grand Shadow Puppetry）.

Hand shadow puppetry was a popular form of entertainment passed down throughout the ages. It involved manipulating hand and body shadows to create various vivid and lifelike images. Hand shadow puppetry has always greatly attracted children， bringing them immense joy. The “Miscellaneous Crafts” section of the book Stories of the Capital City mentions hand shadow puppetry as one of the various skills. Hong Mai， a writer from the Song Dynasty， recorded in his book Yi Jian Zhi that Huiming， a monk at the Putuo Temple in Huating， did divination for hand shadow puppetry performers. This indicates that hand shadow puppetry during the Song Dynasty was more of a playful form of entertainment and not a theatrical performance in the true sense.

As for Qiao shadow puppetry， the term “Qiao” refers to disguise or impersonation. Stories of Wulin mentions “using people for grand shadow puppetry，” indicating that it involved people imitating the “grand shadow puppetry，” hence the term “Qiao shadow puppetry.”

During the Jin Dynasty， shadow puppetry continued from the Song Dynasty and traces of it can be found. For example， in 1980， a mural of one part of a shadow puppet was discovered in a tomb dating back to the second year of Jin Zhenglong （1157） in Yushu Ping Village， Xiaoyi County， Shanxi Province. Another mural was found in the Wen Shu Hall of Yan Shan Temple in Fanzhi County， Shanxi Province， dating back to the seventh year of Jin Dading （1167）， depicting children playing with shadow puppets. These discoveries depict the spread of shadow puppetry to remote northern regions during the Jin Dynasty.

From the mid-Ming Dynasty to the mid-Qing Dynasty， the development and popularization of shadow puppetry began to exhibit local styles. While paper shadow puppetry and sheepskin shadow puppetry continued to be performed in certain regions， shadow puppetry across the country gradually started using materials such as cowhide， donkey skin， camel skin， and pigskin to make the puppets.

In modern times， the carving of shadow puppets in different regions of China has been adapted to local conditions. Donkey skin is primarily used in northern provinces for carving shadow puppets， while in central and western provinces， cowhide is the main material. In Hubei， plastic materials are mainly used for making shadow puppets. In rural areas of Hunan， thick paper is carved for shadow puppets.

In shadow puppetry， the central focus is the shadow box where the puppet figures and props are placed. Within the shadow box， there are all kinds of carved characters， props， and backgrounds created by shadow puppet artists according to the plot and performance requirements. Everything from mountains， rocks， and trees to pavilions， towers， carriages， tables， chairs， beds， weapons， and various atmospheric effects such as clouds， water， and mist can be found. Due to the different performance repertoire and varied forms of performance across the country， there are significant differences in shadow puppetry aesthetics and styles.

From the perspective of shadow puppet carving styles， there are prominent differences in the aesthetics between different regions throughout the country， some being bold and rough， some being fine and delicate. This is closely related to the customs of regional shadow puppetry. Small shadow puppetry troupes， mainly active in the folk， have limited resources for organizing performances. Typically， the performers themselves create the props and puppets， resulting in simpler and rougher carvings. On the other hand， shadow puppetry troupes that have access to the court and wealthy households usually employ specialized craftsmen to carve the puppets. They pursue grand and magnificent presentations， resulting in more complex carved designs. In Zhejiang， the focus is more on colorful painting rather than carving， maintaining the legacy of “Huige” from the Southern Song Dynasty.

In the shadow puppetry troupes of eastern Hebei and northeast China， there is a wide variety and large quantity of puppet types used in performances， presenting various characters， scenes， mounts， and utensils in accordance with the changing plots.

The puppet designs in Shaanxi and Gansu tend to be smaller in size， but in the past， shadow puppetry troupes associated with wealthy families had already possessed a rich array of exquisite processions， horse teams， palaces， tents， pavilions， gardens， divine clouds， and supernatural creatures， making their puppet designs unique among the rest of the country.

In folk shadow puppetry performances in Hunan， paper puppets are commonly used. In Hubei， Sichuan， Shandong， and some other regions， the puppet figures are prepared according to the specific drama. While the puppet designs are relatively tall and imposing， the scene props are relatively simple. A set of tables and chairs can be used for various types of puppet characters， and sometimes there may not even be mounts.

Furthermore， the puppet designs in different regions are closely related to the repertoire of shadow puppetry plays. Traditional shadow puppet play scripts in various areas encompass a wide range of content， including stories from different historical periods， mythological legends， and a set of “wish shadow” lyrics specifically performed for propitiating deities， offering sacrifices， and fulfilling vows. All of these require corresponding puppet designs tailored to the specific scripts.

The Modelling Textual Research on Chinese Traditional Shadow Puppets

Wei Liqun

Hubei Fine Arts Publishing House

February 2023

1680.00 （CNY）

Wei Liqun

Wei Liqun is a scholar of shadow puppetry art. He is a professor and academic leader at the School of Fine Arts and Design， Hebei Normal University. He also serves as a member of the National Expert Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage and deputy director of the Expert Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hebei Province.