Rod Puppets
Research - Anna D
Origin
- Puppetry 3000BC
- First recorded in 5th century Greece
- Wayang golek 16th century Indonesia
Construction
- Figure operated from beneath by wooden or metal rods
- Three-dimensional figures or shadows
- Has a central rod which runs through a carved torso, the head is fixed on top.
- Arms, articulated at the shoulder and elbow, are controlled by lighter rods tied to the hands.
- The wayang kulit (leather shadow figures), where head and body are cut in one piece, have a support rod that is held in the hand. This is often a bent piece of bamboo or buffalo horn that follows the contours of the figure to ensure maximum support.
- Occasionally a string mechanism comes into play to allow an articulated jaw to function.
- The basic rod puppet is a figure operated by a rod to the head and rods to the hands. A popular variant is a figure whose head is operated by the hand, more like a glove puppet, and whose arms are managed with rods.
Tv/Theatre/Film Appearance
- Sergei Obraztsov developed and used them as one of the main techniques in the Moscow Sergei Obraztsov Central Puppet Theatre
- Central Puppet theatres were developed in Eastern Europe following WW2 widely used this techinque, leading to it being picked up in the West and countries that came under Soviet Union cultural influence (e.g. the Calcutta Puppet Theatre)
- Jim Henson used the variant of rod puppetry, with a gloved operated head and rod arms, with his Muppets
- War Horse, made by the Handspring Puppet Company, is manoeuvred using mechanics such as rods as well, though it is labelled as a ‘Marquette puppet’.
DIY construction
- Rods, coat hanger, stick, etc.
- Carved torso/head, polystyrene, wood blocks, clay/play dough, stuffed toys, etc.
- Arms/Legs, sticks, clay/play dough, coat hanger, wire, etc.
- Props, depends on what the prop is…
Action shot
Muppets https://youtu.be/9MiNN3VeVyg?t=31 War horse https://youtu.be/ObMifXLR34M?t=5
Click below for inspiration
Diddy Dick and Dom
America's Got Talent
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