The claim has, indeed, been made that puppet theatre is the most ancient form of theatre, the origin of the drama itself. It may well be asked why such an artificial and often complicated form of dramatic art should possess a universal appeal. Some specific national styles of puppetry are treated in the articles arts, East Asian, and arts, Southeast Asian. This article discusses the various types of puppets as well as historical and contemporary styles of puppet theatre around the world. It represents one of the most primitive instincts of the human race. It may certainly be said that puppet theatre has everywhere antedated written drama and, indeed, writing of any kind. In Africa, records of puppets are meagre, but the mask is an important feature in almost all African magical ceremonies, and the dividing line between the puppet and the masked actor, as will be seen, is not always easily drawn. Among the American Indians, there are traditions of puppetlike figures used in ritual magic. Written records in other civilizations are less ancient, but in China, India, Java, and elsewhere in Asia there are ancient traditions of puppet theatre, the origins of which cannot now be determined. In Europe, written records of them go back to the 5th century bce (e.g., the Symposium of the Greek historian Xenophon). Puppet shows seem to have existed in almost all civilizations and in almost all periods. Similarly, automaton figures moved by clockwork that appear when a clock strikes are not puppets, and such elaborate displays of automatons as those that perform at the cathedral clock in Strasbourg, France, or the town hall clock in Munich, Germany, must be excluded from consideration. A doll, for instance, is not a puppet, and a girl playing with her doll as if it were a living baby is not giving a puppet show but, if before an audience of her mother and father she makes the doll walk along the top of a table and act the part of a baby, she is then presenting a primitive puppet show. These definitions are wide enough to include an enormous variety of shows and an enormous variety of puppet types, but they do exclude certain related activities and figures. A puppet is a figure-human, animal, or abstract in form-that is moved by human, and not mechanical, aid. Puppetry, the making and manipulation of puppets for use in some kind of theatrical show. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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