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Taiwanese Hand Puppet
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| Limited Edition:
16 Banners |
| Price:
$525 |
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| Museum:
Fowler Museum at UCLA |
| Exhibition:
Intersections: World Art/Local Lives |
| Material:
Printed 2-ply vinyl |
| Dimensions:
L: 96 " (244 cm) : W:35 "
(89 cm) |
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Description:
The vibrant yellow face adorned with Chinese lettering seems to jump from the banner. Its lacquered sheen makes the face seem to glow from within, while the serene expression carved into the wooden head seems calm and introverted. This is the head of a Taiwanese puppet representing a character known as the Blind Scholar.
The name of the Blind Scholar is written on the puppet's face along with passages from a pre-Revolutionary Chinese textbook known as the Book of Three Character Phrases. This well-known text is commonly the first schoolchildren learn, and it expresses the importance of learning, teaching, and education. The puppet represents a wise schoolteacher, and while entertaining audiences the puppet also tells them of the importance of learning.
At the bottom of the image,white text reads "Fowler Museum at UCLA". The other side of this banner is a deep red with white text that reads “Intersections/World Art/Local Lives” and in small black print ”opens 9/30/06”.
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| Provenance:
These banners were displayed around Los Angeles, California to promote the exhibition Intersections: World Art/Local Lives at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. The ongoing exhibition features works from the Fowler’s permanent collection. |
About the Artist:
Puppetry has a long history in China dating back before the 17th century, but it was in the late 1800s that the art came to Taiwan where it thrived. Puppet makers in Taiwan in the early to mid-20th century excelled in the art form, and makeshift puppet theaters dotted streets throughout the country. Many restrictions were imposed on puppet theater under the Japanese occupation to make shows both more Western and more Japanese. Puppeteers from China were not allowed to travel to Taiwan, so a more unique, Taiwanese style of puppetry also emerged. After World War II when the Japanese withdrew, the art once again flourished and came into its own in Taiwan.
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| Color Scheme: Warm - |
| Style: Modern - Asian - |
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