Traditional Water Puppetry, Vietnamese Handicraft Essence, Lacquered Wooden Dragon - Four Sacred Dragons of the Ly Dynasty, Dai Viet

Traditional Water Puppetry, Vietnamese Handicraft Essence, Lacquered Wooden Dragon - Four Sacred Dragons of the Ly Dynasty, Dai Viet

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

General Introduction:

Traditional water puppetry has long been a unique feature of Vietnamese folk culture, serving as entertainment for our ancestors after hard work in the fields. Today, water puppetry not only preserves the rustic, simple features of Vietnamese rural life but has also developed into a unique and fascinating art form that attracts international tourists whenever they visit Vietnam.

The water puppet performance "Dragon Fight" is likely familiar to those who love folk art. This dragons has been simplified by artisan farmers to make it more accessible compared to the version performed at the water puppet theater. However, the dragons still retain the graceful movements of water puppetry, the rustic charm with gilded paint that is hard to find in the mass-produced glossy products available on the market today. Each dragon puppet is about 70 cm long and can be compactly folded for easy transport due to the flexibility of the dragon's "joints." Children can play with them at home or take them to friends' houses/school for performances, making them a great gift for foreign friends who love Vietnam. The robust yet gentle dragon features the characteristics of the Ly Dynasty dragons passed down by the ancestors, unaffected or mixed with Chinese or other Asian dragons.

Important Notice:

This product is 100% handmade by Vietnamese artisans. Due to the nature of handmade craftsmanship, there may be slight variations in size, color, and patterns compared to the images shown.

We will randomly select products for delivery to customers.

We kindly ask for your understanding and appreciation of this matter. Thank you very much.

Due to the product being 100% handmade and sold in many countries, the color may vary between red and yellow depending on the production batch. Therefore, when customers purchase this product, they may receive either red or yellow as chosen randomly by us. Customers cannot choose the color. We appreciate your understanding.

Water Puppetry - A Unique Folk Art Form of Vietnam

Water puppetry (also known as water puppet theater) is a unique and creative form of folk stage art that embodies the traditions of the wet rice civilization, originating alongside the Đại Việt culture.

Puppetry exists in many countries around the world, but water puppetry is unique to Vietnam. According to various sources, in 1121, water puppetry was performed to celebrate the king's longevity, evidenced by Han characters carved on an ancient stone stele from the Lý dynasty at Long Đọi pagoda in Đọi Sơn village, Duy Tiên district, Hà Nam province.

From individual puppets created by some artisans, water puppetry developed into guilds with many fascinating and beautiful plays performed for the public. Hence, water puppetry has become a refined entertainment for people in the Red River Delta.

Traditional Vietnamese water puppetry is closely linked with the natural conditions and daily life of rice farmers in the Northern Delta. The rich imagination and creative intelligence of our ancestors contributed to the formation of water puppetry. From its distinctive folk art features, water puppetry quickly became a traditional art form and is considered an exceptional intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. It is also a unique cultural feature of Vietnam compared to the puppetry arts of other countries worldwide.

Water puppetry is usually performed during festivals, village celebrations, and joyous occasions such as Tet. As a stage art form, water puppetry incorporates various artistic elements.

The uniqueness of this art form is reflected right in its name "water puppetry," which uses water as the stage. The pond surface is both the stage, the environment, and the scenery, as well as a supportive character for the puppets controlled by the skilled artisans. Above the water is the stage; below the water is the control system with various mechanisms, rods, and strings connected to the puppet house.

The puppet house or water pavilion is usually built in the middle of a pond or lake, symbolizing the village communal house's roof in rural Vietnam. The puppet artisans stand in the house to control the puppets. They manipulate rods, ropes, and strings to make the puppets move. The success of water puppetry primarily depends on the movement and actions of the puppets.

The water puppet stage is the open space in front of the puppet house, often equipped with flags, fans, elephants, parasols, gates, and various props.

Puppets are typically made from fig wood, a lightweight wood that floats on water. Artisans carve and shape the puppets with distinctive stylized lines, then polish and decorate them with various paints to highlight the character features of each figure. Puppets are usually cheerful, whimsical, humorous, and highly symbolic. The puppet body is the part that floats on water, representing the character, while the base is submerged to keep the puppet afloat and is where the control mechanism is attached.

In water puppetry, the puppets are the direct actors, the most crucial material and technical base contributing to the success of the plays. In Thái Bình, Nguyễn village's water puppet guild holds the most diverse collection of puppets: from Chú Tễu to Tang Sanzang and his disciples, from large lion puppets to small, cute fish and ducks. The rich variety of puppets in Nguyễn village showcases the artisans' talent in both creating figures and crafting control mechanisms. Especially, Nguyễn village's Chú Tễu has become a familiar character in Vietnamese water puppetry, drawing interest from foreigners for its agility, humor, charm, and mystery. This character often appears at the beginning of performances, managing the show, guiding the play, and maintaining order.

Currently, Vietnam's water puppetry repertoire includes about 30 traditional acts and hundreds of modern water puppet performances depicting folk tales and daily life of Vietnamese people. Some traditional acts in Vietnamese water puppetry include: praising the joy of farming and fishing like plowing, transplanting, duck herding, fish trapping, fishing, rice milling, and pounding; entertainment acts reflecting agricultural festivals like wrestling, cockfighting, boat racing, buffalo fighting, and swing contests; acts praising the tradition of resistance against invaders like the stories of the Trưng sisters, Lady Triệu, Lê Lợi, and Trần Hưng Đạo; excerpts from traditional opera like Thị Màu going to the pagoda and Thất Cầm Mạnh Hoạch; and religious ceremonies like festivals, statue painting, bell casting, Buddha ceremonies, and deity processions. These various traditional acts demonstrate the unique features and advantages of water puppetry in reflecting the material and cultural life of our people.

A complete water puppetry performance requires the combined talents of many artisans, including those who create the stories, carve the puppets, craft the control mechanisms, and perform the puppets on stage in sync with the singing and speaking of the singers. Each task demands talent, passion, and dedication from each individual and unity and cooperation among the collective artisans.

Music in water puppetry plays a leading role and is quite lively with songs, drums, cymbals, trumpets, cannons, and fireworks from underwater to the shimmering light and mystical smoke. Music in water puppetry often uses traditional tunes or folk songs from the Northern Delta.

In recent years, Vietnam's water puppetry art has been preserved and developed commensurate with its stature in national cultural heritage. Many Vietnamese water puppetry troupes have participated in international puppetry festivals, winning numerous awards and gaining attention from audiences worldwide. Water puppetry has become a national pride and a symbol of Vietnam's cultural heritage on the international stage.