Modern types of puppetry may be found in Togo, Nigeria, Zaïre, Burundi, and South Africa. From various sources (literature, conversations with experts, and short periods of fieldwork) I have gathered that traditional puppet theatre exists in Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroun, Gabon, and Congo. Puppetry in Africa and Asia' see under 'Publications'.)Īfter that, I did more research or fieldwork on puppetry in various countries, such as Mali and Togo, India and Burma, and Brazil.Īfrican puppets are relatively unknown in Europe. (In 2015 I published an eBook about this exhibition called 'Distant Friends of Jan Klaassen.
Poppenspel in Afrika en Azië' (the Dutch title of the exhibition), accompanied the exhibition. A book called 'Verre Vrienden van Jan Klaassen. This exhibition placed puppets in their social context by means of decors, musical instruments, sound- and video-fragments. Puppetry in Africa and Asia' which was presented by the Tropenmuseum in 1996. I curated a major exhibition titled 'Distant Friends of Jan Klaassen. In other cases special songs are sung to accompany the puppets. Since puppets cannot talk, the puppeteer speaks their lines, at times using a voice-distorting device which he has in his mouth. The puppeteer is hidden behind a curtain or underneath a wide cloth or a covered structure. Performances usually take place outdoors: in the village square or some other public space. Other groups are part of a specific village-association in which many people, puppets and masks participate. Some of the groups travel, especially in the dry season, and are therefore quite small as far as the number of puppeteers, puppets and musicians are concerned.
Puppet theatre generally forms part of a larger festival, and may take place during the day or at night. Puppets (and masks) come to life through the hands and minds of the puppeteers, the musicians and the dancers. Puppetry in a larger sense includes all objects that are animated by man. Puppet theatre is found all over the world and puppets exist in various types and shapes: hand, rod and string puppets, as well as in the derived form of shadow figures. A puppet is an inanimate figure made to move by human effort before an audience.