Important Notice

Painted wood and rope

20th century
North Karnataka

a)
Height: 39 in (97.5 cm)
Width: 11.5 in (28.75 cm)
Depth: 5 in (12.5 cm)
b)
Height: 39 in (97.5 cm)
Width: 10.5 in (26.25 cm)
Depth: 7.5 in (18.75 cm)

(Set of two)



India has a long and rich tradition of creating string puppets or marionettes and using them to enact local myths and legends. These wooden figures are some of the most articulate forms of puppets in India, as their jointed limbs allowed the puppeteers that controlled them great flexibility. In Karnataka, these marionettes are known as Gombeyatta, and they are styled and dressed to resemble the actors who perform in Yakshagana, the traditional theatre of the region. "The Gombeyatta puppet figures are highly stylized and have joints at the legs, shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. These puppets are manipulated by five to seven strings tied to a prop. Some of the more complicated movements of the puppet are manipulated by two to three puppeteers at a time. Episodes enacted in Gombeyatta are usually based on Prasangas of the Yakshagana plays. The music that accompanies is dramatic and beautifully blends folk and classical elements" (Puppet Forms of India, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi).

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