China is the hometown of the shadow play. The Chinese leather shadow
play is an ancient and widespread form of folk opera art. Over the past
thousand years, folk artists have been casting leather puppets' shadows
on a small white curtain while singing and dancing behind it, depicting
the ups and downs of the life of the Chinese people.
Table of Contents
lntroduction/1 Shadow Play Ferformancc /19 Fuppct Designs in the Western Shadow Flag / 33 Sets / 34 Whole Puppets / 44 Puppet Heads of Dan Characters / 46 Puppet Heads ofShen8 Characters /48 Puppet Heads of/in8 Characters / 51 Puppet Heads of Chou Characters / S6 Deities and Spirits / 58 FUppet: Designs in the Nortshern Shac]ow Play / 65 Whole Puppets / 66 Puppet Heads of Dan Characters / 84 Puppet Heads ofShen8 Characters/94 Puppet Heads oflin8 Characters / 106 Puppet Heads of (boo Characters / 114 Puppet Heads of Evil Characters / 116 Deities and Spirits / 120 Puppet Designs in the Central anti Southern Shadow Plau / 1Z7 Whole Puppets / 128 Puppet Heads / 132 Other .Shadow Plau Designs / 135 Auspicious Animals / 136 Furniture Designs / 140 Shadow Plags in the 196os and 1970s /151