Lot 204
TWO VIETNAMESE WATER PUPPETS
19TH AND 20TH CENTURY
Auction: 28 February 2018 from 11:00 GMT
£450
Description
painted wood and fabric, comprising TEN (clown) riding on a fish, 41cm x 15cm x 10cm and ANOTHER MALE, 36cm x 17cm x 54cm (2)
Footnote
Note: Vietnamese water puppetry dates back to the 11th century when it emerged in the villages of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. Flooded rice fields became the stage for puppet shows which were performed standing waist-deep in water. Later, performed in a pool, the puppeteers were hidden behind a screen from where the wooden and lacquered puppets are controlled with large rods that also serve as supports under water.