Marionette Puppet of a Dancing Lady or Princess, probably Burmese late C20th

£45.00

LOT NUMBER 27

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LOT NUMBER 27

Marionette Puppet of a Dancing Lady or Princess, probably Burmese late C20th

This is a puppet figure of a lady dancer wearing an elaborately decorated robe, intricately decorated with sequins, stitching and bead work, her hands and head white with detailing in red and blue, her feet with gilt boots and her head with an elaborate gilt helmet. Multiple gilt strings are suspended from a double bar handle piece requiring no small amount of skill from the puppet master operating the figure.

The style of the dress suggests Burmese work and very similar fabric decoration can be seen in the cloth wall hangings also included in this sale. Burma has a tradition of marionette puppetry (marionettes are a specific form of puppet where the figure is controlled by strings or rods) which dates back to the late eighteenth century and is still popular today with visitors to the country, now called Myanmar. Termed ‘Yoke thé’, the Burmese marionette tradition allowed political commentary under the guise of of an entertainment display. The standard ‘troupe’ comprised twenty seven characters, both animal and human, and this lady figure is probably the ‘princess’ (‘Minthami’). She is a fine example of the genre and probably dates to the 1990s when General Khin Nyunt of the ruling junta lent official support to marionette actors and troupes in an attempt to revive a tradition which had fallen somewhat into decline.

Size: 39 x 28 cm total figure size, head only is 13 cm high
Weight: 405 grams
Date: Late C20th
Condition: Very good condition, no issues
Price: £45

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