Shadow Show

Chinese Pinyin: Pi Ying, literally translation: Leather Silhouette

You may have heard of the Chinese traditional handcraft of paper-cutting and you may have even watched Chinese local operas. What I am going to talk about is an ancient dramatic art form that combines these two significant Chinese elements. This is known as Chinese Shadow Show.

Shadow Show, also called “Shadow Play,” has a history of more than 1,000 years. It uses light to cast the shadow of leather-cut figures (Piying) on a white curtain. Its repertoire and tunes are interrelated with local operas. The artisan operates the Piying while singing. Under the influence of different regions, many styles of Shadow Show have appeared, mostly in northwest of China.

   The most popular material of such leather puppets is donkey skin. The images painted on the Piying are usually figures coming from historical plays or myths. Despite its differences in style from diverse areas in China, Piying has the following characteristics in common: highly precise carving, simple shapes and exaggerated decorative patterns. These together form an artistic charm.

It is not difficult to find these shadow puppets to bring home from China as souvenirs. Many shops have Piying on sale which have already been framed. However it is also possible to find the original Piying and move them around into your chosen position for framing.