Glove Puppet Collection. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
MOCA recently received a large donation of Taiwanese glove puppets generously donated by Mr. Steven Yungyuan Chang. The collection has a total of 44 objects, including 34 dolls, seven furniture props, and three company brochures. These puppets were created by the Ho Lo Fang Classical Puppet Art company in Taipei, Taiwan. The dolls were meticulously made by hand and feature an incredible amount of detail, with distinct facial features and embroideries on the fabrics of the dolls. The dolls’ clothing is very reminiscent of what you would see in a classical opera costume, with bright shiny colors and flashy metal threading.
Traditional hand puppets are used to perform what is known as a “Bu Dai Xi” (布袋戏) which, if translated literally, means “Cloth Sack Play” but it is of course more commonly referred to as “Glove Puppetry” in English. Glove Puppetry is a unique form of performance entertainment where puppeteers often utilize these bright-colored dolls to recreate scenes from popular Chinese folklore and legends. Glove puppetry in China dates back to the 16th or 17th century and originated in Fujian and has since spread throughout parts of southeast Asia with the Overseas Chinese. In 2006, puppetry was listed as an important cultural practice in the First National Intangible Cultural Heritage publication.
Most of the dolls in this collection can be separated into three distinct Chinese tales: Judge Bao, Journey to the West, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Judge Bao (包青天)
Judge Bao, known by other names such as Bao Gong, Bao Qingtian, and Bao Zheng was a Chinese politician and civil servant during the Song Dynasty. Historically, he was known for his extreme honesty and willingness to address the grievances of the people. In the present day, he is a Chinese cultural symbol of justice and there are many television shows, movies, and other pop-culture materials that depict his career, albeit in a fictionalized way.
Judge Bao with his Dragon, Tiger, and Dog guillotines. In the stories, the Dragon guillotine is for beheading corrupt royal personages, the tiger meant for government ministers and officials, and the dog for commoners. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Dragon guillotine preparing for a glove puppet beheading. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Journey to the West (西遊記)
Journey to the West is a Chinese fantasy story written by Ruzhong and it is considered one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. This story is a romanticized tale of the pilgrimage of Xuanzang to obtain Buddhist sacred texts. In the tale, Xuanzang is known as Tang Sanzang and is followed by three disciples: Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Sanzang and his disciples would undergo various trials, conflicts, and adventures together before ultimately acquiring the sacred texts.
Journey to the West glove puppets. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義)
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, another of the Four Great Classical Novels, is a fictionalized retelling of the historical events that occurred during a turbulent time known as the Three Kingdoms period in China. Luo Guanzhong, a writer who lived in China during the Ming Dynasty is often attributed with authoring the story. The novels follow historical characters such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Guan Yu and their ambitions to reunite China under one ruler.
Guan Yu holding his famous Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms dolls, featuring characters such as Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Lu Bu, and Zhuge Liang. Can you distinguish which dolls are which character? Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Miscellaneous Puppets
In addition to the three sets of story-based character dolls, there are also various generic dolls with distinct faces and clothing for use in more original Bu Dai Xi plays.
Miscellaneous dolls used for more generic roles. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Ho Lo Fang Classical Puppet Art Brochure front. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Ho Lo Fang Classical Puppet Art Brochure back. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Beautiful embroidery with metal threads. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Detailed stitchwork on a doll's costume. Courtesy of Steven Yungyuan Chang, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.
Additional Resource
This Assignment Asia: Hand Puppetry video describes some of the histories of hand puppetry and its prevalence in Taiwan. Also, there is footage of incredible puppeteers doing incredible movements and actions with hand puppets!
