By Daw Naing Yee Mar
Myanmar puppetry dates back many centuries. It was well established in the country
during the Pagan Era (11th century) and records of the art were made in the 15th century.
Since then it has trod a chequered path, sinking and rising in popularity. This process of
revival and decline has recurred repeatedly.
Puppetry was in great demand at the courts of Myanmar royalty, especially during the
Kone Bong Era (1820-1885). This was an era in which the kings of Myanmar at first
forbade human dancers to appear on the stage. This provided a wonderful opportunity for
marionette dancers to appear on a raised stage above the heads of the royal audience. This
was known as Ah-Myint-Tha-Bin, which literally means 'performance at high
level'. Female artists were also banned from the stage at that time. Accordingly, male
artists who performed as women were later known as Yoke-Thay-Min-Tha-
Min. The human manipulators and singer were hidden and obliged to perform from
behind the hand rail and the back curtain attached to it.
The twenty-eight puppets are made to depict the twenty-eight physical forms
(ru-pas) which consist of four elements (Bu-Ta-Nu-Pas) and
twenty-four attachments (U-Pa-Da-Ya-Ru-Pas) mentioned in Buddhist teaching as
embodied in the third basket of the Ti-Pi-Ta-Ka. The puppet carvers are
required to observe strict rules regarding the types of wood used for carving particular
figures, the proportions of the figures befitting the roles, and the human anatomy
including sex organs.
The themes of puppet plays were drawn from the ten great lives and the 550 birth stories
of Lord Buddha and from historical legends. The ancient Myanmar kings patronized this
important branch of Myanmar art assiduously. With the demise of Myanmar royalty the
art commenced a sharp decline and in the pre-war period, efforts to ensure its revival met
with meagre results.
Anatomical science
Nowadays, the old traditional marionette generation has almost faded away. This is
simply due to the lack of patronage during the last few decades. Now the art of
marionette theatre is being referred to as a dying art.
In order to restore this folk art, a private team of professional artists came together in
Mandalay, the old capital of Burma and the centre of Myanmar art and culture, to form a
special marionette theatre. This theatre is the initiative of two Myanmar women who are
sincerely interested in puppetry. The first woman is Mrs Ma Ma Naing, the daughter of
the writer U Thein Naing, who wrote a book about Burmese puppetry in 1966. The other
person is myself. At that time I was a student of Dr Tin Maung Kyi, whose research was
dedicated to the rediscovery and preservation of Myanmar anatomical science in relation
to puppets.
After a long search, we, Ma Ma Naing and I, discovered, two puppet players, U Pan Aye
(70 years old) and U Mya Thwin (82 years old). They were the former pupils of the well-
known marionette artist Shwe Bo U Thin Maung, a descendant of the ancient professional
players.
We also discovered the way the old masters carved, joined, ornamented, and strung their
puppets, which is an art in itself. The anatomical proportions of the prince and the
princess figure as measured and recorded by U Mya Thwin are:
diameter of head: one span (between thumb and tip of middle finger) plus four
fingers
length of face from centre of skull to chin tip: one unit of measure
height: seven and a half units of measure, one cubit (18 inches) plus one span of
fingers
length of hands: half of the height
These ratios of anatomical formations of the prince and the princess are very important. They can be memorized with the help of a special rhyme.
I want to use this short article to give the reader a memorable glimpse of what is now a dying art, but one which we hope will once again find its legitimate place in the entertainment world. For more information about the Mandalay Marionette Theatre, I can be reached at the address below.
Daw Naing Yee Mar
Geerdinkhof 507
1103 RH Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-6909700
Fax: +31-20-6951131
Email: naing2@businesstales.nl
Daw Naing Yee Mar is the co-founder of the Mandalay Marionette Theatre in Myanmar. She recently gave a key note lecture on Myanmar puppetry at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, during their exhibition on Asian and African puppetry.