Body

Chinese puppet dolls' heads are carved out of camphor wood with paint used for intricate facial details. The aptly named glove puppet is hollow inside to allow for the human hand to host and animate the doll. Therefore, the hands are separated from any other physical body parts underneath the Chinese Puppet Doll’s robe. Instead, the doll’s sleeves are tightly stitched together to ensure the delicate wooden hands are secure.

Due to its hollow form and its construction being primarily silk or satin fabric (silk is considered the standard), these dolls are lightweight; headpieces, worn by characters of noble status, added some weight as some were made from hard paper to preserve their sturctural integrity (Department of Education 1996, 363). The Chinese Puppet Doll's flower hairpiece is nonethless carved into her hair and painted, giving the doll a sense of sleekness and lightness.

Both close-up photos taken of the Chinese Puppet Doll 3D model created by Phillip Ruscica.

The Neatline exhibit below contains hyperlinks to different pages. Please explore the exhibit and click on the titles to learn more about each aspect of the doll.