The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-30
JAvANEsE PUPPETS.
interesting Christmas Gift Received
by National Museum.

by National Museum.
Collection of Marfonettes from Java,
Where These Puppets Are Supposed
sent Gods and Perform Wonderful
Religious Dramas--Christmas and
NIartonettes in Europe.
Especial Correspondence of the Boston
Transcript.)
Washington, Dec. 2s-The National
Museum has just received a most interest
ing Christmas gift in the shape of col.
lection of marionettes from Java, in
which country puppets of this kind are
believed to have originated. These are
play actors of wood and leather, whose
business it is to represent divinities in a
sort OF Oriental passion play. In form
they are remarkably hideous. but dressed
in many gaudy colors, while to the hands
of each one are attached long slender
manipulated by the manager and made
to perform whatever gestures may be
requisite.
Java is unquestionably the earliest
home of the pantoinime. In ordinary
theatrical performances, where the parts
are taken by human beings. the actors
themselves utter not a word, the entire
play being recited by man who occu-
pies sort of prompters box. From this
style of things it is not such great tran.
sition to the pantomime show of the
marionettes, whose ia king is all done
for them by the Snowman. The latter
carries his puppets aboHt with him in a
chest, and there is always an orchestra
of two or more players who furnish a
sort of musical accompaniment to the &C.
ton There is always certain amount
of ceremony of mumbo-jumbo charact-
er. including the burning of incense and
| the setting out of a copper basin to re-
ceiye offerings of food for the spirits
which are imagined to be lowering
around. The food, of which the spirits
take only an immaterial part, is actually
perquisits of the manager and mu.
sicians.
The marionettes are shown over the tor
of small fence constructed for the pur-
pose, and in very much the same manner
as Punch and Judy. In front the audi
ence is divided as to sexes in very curl
GUS way. Men occupy the first rowe OF
.'orchestra stalls,'' SO to speak, while be.
hind them q big sheet is suspended, In
| the rear of which the women sit mus
the men see the plays, while the women
view Only the shadows of the manfk1ns
on a sheet Sometimes the marionettes
are wooden dolls and sometimes they are
mere fat figures cut out of still leather
silhouette fashion. The costume OF the
silhouette puppets are painted upon the
leather, which is buffalo hide. and there
is much ornamentation of gliding an
silvering. 1t is intended to represent cost
Iy and gorgeous costumes All of the
puppets are monstrosities. some having
hinge noses while other are humpbacked.
Professor Otis T. Mason of the Nation
a! Museum says that among all primitive
peoples the drama is religious in charact-
er, secular plays being unknown. Prob
ably the ancient Egyptians used in some
| such way the mechanical dolls whose re-
| m ains are often found in mummy collins.
At the feast of Osiris marionettes played
an important part in the pageant. ano
when Rome was at the acme of her glory
they fiourished exceedingly. The priests
of old, in Greece. Rome and Egypt, did
not hesitate to furnish the images of the
gods with mechanical devices by which
the divinities could be made to nod theil
heads and indicate by other movements
whatever wishes they might be desired
to convey. Such hinges were in fact only
| marionettes of large size. After the fai
| of Rome and during subsequent centuI lei
of barbarism in Europe the puppets Of
whatever kind seem to have disappeared
to be called to life again in the middle
/ ages, and once more for religious purposes
to a great extent.
| 1t came into fashion to give holy plays
| in the churches, the marionettes being
made to take parts of saints and variou
re yered personaaes. the Saviour himself
being not omitted This sorJ of sacer
dotal drama obtained exceptional develop
ment in Poland, where the priests or
ganized the plays, tho most admired being
|
Inthis tragedy little dolls represented Jesu
Mary, Joseph, the three Magi. angels,
Shepherds and even the animals in the
Stable where Christ WAS born. In fact
this particular pay is preserved to thl'
day in Poland as a popular diversion,
though by no means regarded in any bias
phemous spirit In another drama thu
rrodigal Son went through series Of
4 unpleasant experiences. What he WA
about to eat changed into skulls, the
water he would drink was con verified int
aaIae. and finally rock split open ant
revealed a man hanging from gallows
| The limbs OF the corpse fell off one By
one. then Assem- bled themselves on thu
ground, an / the dead man arose and pur
sued The prodigal.
Curiously Illustrative of the prevalence
of this kind or religions drama is word
that still survives IN the Spanish Ian
guage, in which "retablo'' means either
an altar-pece or puppet-sbow. 1t would
appear that in the course of time the EN-
ploy ment of marionettes in churches be
came abused, scandals resulted from it
ami thus the decadence of mechanical
saints began. A regulation was passed a
a synod the Valencian bishopric at TIN
beoinninr of the sevenuee til century for