“Scene of Souls in Hell” (19th century), donkey skin; Shaanxi, China (all images courtesy Museu do Oriente) LISBON — Asian shadow theater is catnip for those with energetic imaginations. Its ...

The head is carved from wood. Mechanisms in the hollow head move the eyes and mouth. The main rod, made either of wood or bamboo, runs through the neck to the head, and the length varies. The hand ...

No truly definitive conclusions have yet been reached on the origin and evolution of Chinese puppetry. However, pottery figurines used in place of slaves as burial objects have been discovered at ...