All Resources

African Puppetry (1982 Museum Exhibit Catalog)

The art of puppetry is used in African life to enhance civic and religious activities rather than solely as an entertainment medium. Puppet theatre in some African groups uses the dramatic performances for instruction, in celebration of harvests, initiations or funerals, and as satiric commentaries on topics of concern in the community, individual misbehavior, or personal eccentricities. Learn more about African Puppetry with this informative museum catalog from 1982.

WPM 1983 Masks Outer Image Inner Spirit Resource

Masks: Outer Image, Inner Spirit (1983 Museum Exhibit Catalog)

Masks are man-made objects—sculptures really—which cover the face of a performer so that she or he may represent a character or spirit of heightened, larger-than-life presence. Both mask and puppet theater is that practically every single culture in the world has some mask or puppet tradition in its past or present. Learn more about the mask as a form of puppetry with this fascinating exhibit catalog from 1983.

Puppetry of China (1984 Museum Exhibit Catalog)

Over the centuries puppeteers in China have passed their special skills from father to son, preserving their distinctive movements, songs, and play texts and further refining them in each generation. This exhibition, which illustrated the four style of Chinese puppet theater, also discussed how artists in China in the 1980s were bringing new flair to an age-old art form. Learn more by downloading this enriching museum catalog from the 1984 Puppetry of China exhibit.

Puppetry of India (1986 Museum Exhibit Catalog)

India has a rich heritage of all forms of puppetry. Its puppetry integrates the religious and mythological sensibilities with the everyday life of the people, thereby keeping the ancient stories and legends alive for all levels of society. In the exhibition, the majority of the figures were characters from the classic Hindu epic poem, the Ramayana. Learn more in this catalog of our 1986 exhibit, Puppetry of India.