AFRICAN

PUPPETRY
an exhibitionfrom the
Centerfor PuppetryArts
Atlanta,Georgia
Sponsoredby the
SouthernArts Federation
 An ExhibitionOf
AFRICAN PUPPETRY

ln the past severaldecadesAfncanart has enjoyedincreasingpopular

attention. Most Americanmuseumshave mounted exhibis of sculpture,
furniture,ceremonial costumesand masks.Lesswell knownto museumgoers,
however,istheAfricanart of puppetry.In orderto acquaintthepublicwith this
important part of African culture, the Center for fuppetry Arts is proud to
presentthis exhibitionof rare puppets from Africa.
Africanart is often set into motion by musicand dance,and to a larger
degreeby investingmovementinto artistic imagesof all types.Theseimages,
when animated.are carried,dancedor manipulated byhumanhandsorworn
as masksatop the heador on the face;thustheybecomeperformingobjectsor
"puppets."Theart of puppetryis used in Africanlife to enhancecivicand
religiousactivitiesrather than solelyas an entertainmentmedium.Puppet
theatrein someAfricangroupsusesthe dramaticperformances for instruction,
in celebrationof harvests, initiationsor funerals,andassatiriccommentaries on
topics of concern in the community,individualmisbehaMor, or personal
eccentricities.the figuresin this exhibitcomemainlyfrom two tribes- the
fbibio,locatedin southeastern Nigeria,and the BamanaandBozoof western
Mali.Thepuppetimagesfromtheseregionsareactivrated in open-air,dramatic
productionswhich incorporateboth secularandsacredelementsof Africanlife
and are held for the benefitof all membersof the communigr.
" Amongthe Eamanaand Bozopeoplesof Mali and the lbibio peopleof
Nigeria,young men of the communitytake chargeof puppetperformances.
Ihe plalers presentperformances which expresstheir generalvaluesand
suggestproper wa)6 to behavein socialsituations.u?iththe introductionof
new imagesdrawn from experienceswithin a changingworld, thesepuppet
presentations alsodraw attentionto innowtionsin communitylife.Ihe castof
puppetsmayillustratemendressedas Europeansoldiersand bureaucrats. or
show bikini<lad 'modern' women. Thesecharactersact alongsidefigures
representing'water spiris' and women adorned for traditionalinitiation
ceremonies."
" Amongtne Umana/Bozo/tvlaninke,puppes appearout of the backof
a movablestage wfiich housesthe puppeteer.Constructedas a wooden
framework coveredwith cloth, the stage may be decoratedwith a carved
animalhead at one end and an appropriateutilat the other. To insurethe
anonimityof the puppeteers,assitantsfollow the stageholdingmatswhich
hide the performer'sfeet.
"Anotherformof "puppet,"not associated with a mobilestage,would be
carriedon the shouldersof a performer,raisinghis stature well above the
heightof membersof the audience.Femalefigurespoint to the idealBamana
beautyboth moraland physical.
"The Bozo,a fishingpeopleof the Niger River.livealongsidethe agri-
culturalBamana.In keepingwith theirwateractivities,the Bozostagepuppet
performances on boatswhichglideto shoreto entertainthe waitingaudience.
"Puppetsof the lbibio peopleof Nigeriaare performedby membersof the
young men's society ("Ekon"l. A stationary stage, formed by a wooden
frameworkcoveredwith cloth, is set up in the centralsquareof the village.The
actorsstandbehindthe enclosure , holdingpuppetfiguresabovetheir heads
by meansof handles. Assistantsbeattheclothsidesof thestagewith palmfiber
brushesto createvibrationswhich concealthe movements of the puppeteers.
UnlikeBamanaand Bozopuppets,lbibiocharacters speakcarefullyprepared
lines.Voicesof actors,however,are disguisedby speakingthrough reeds.
Theactorsrehearsetheir partsduringa strictlyprescribed, seven-year period.
Traditionally,as the carved figuresappeared on stage, a black rooster,the
appropriatesacrificeto the guardianspiritof the society,was liftedto touch
the sculptures.lt wasbelievedthat thisgestureconfirmedthe powerof speech
to the images. Carefullyconstructed,brightly painted figures having
articufatedarms,neck and jaw, representa setof characters familiarto lbibio
villagers.Skitsdealing with familyproblemsand communityissuesunfold
through monologuesand dialogues.Theseskits demonstratethe social
tensionsand moral dilemmaswhich are experiencedby people living in
polygynous,small-scale villagesocieties.In most cases,the audienceis ex-
Dectedto draw its own conclusions.
"lyhile operatinga wooden image,puppeteerscan safelyriskopinions
and displayconductnormallyforbiddento individuals. In the Africansetting,
puppetsoperatewith guidancefrom the spiritualrealmand thusact or speak
with extra-humanauthority.By dramaticportrayals,they set examplesfor
properbehavior,reinforceacceptedcustomsand tactfullyintroducechanging
values."*
The puppetsin the "African Puppetq/'exhibit are from the Center's
PermanentCollectionand from the privatecollectionof Williamand Robert
Arnett.
*Materials excerpted from "Puppets From Africa" by Marietta L Joseph. Museum Specialist,
Museum of African Art at the Smithsonianlnstitution, Folklife Program.Addit,onal information
provided by Mary Jo Arnoldi, Department of Fine Ar!s, lndiana University.

ON THE COVER:
"MammyWata" photographby DavidA. Carter.
Thisfigure,known as "MammyWata," represents a water spiritworshipped
sinceancienttimesby the lbibioand other groupsin southeasternNigeria.
Dependingupon its mood,the spiritis capableof richlyblessingor causing
anguish.Puppetis fromthe collection
seriousmentaland phy,sical of Wlliam
and RobertArnett.
 tBtBto
Ekon SocietyMarionette
Lower CrossRiverRegion
SoutheasternNigeria
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection
2. lBlBlO, Anang
Ekon SocietyMarionette
Lower CrossRiverRegion
SoutheasternNigeria
William& RobertArnett Collection
tBtBto
Ekon SocietyMarionette
Lower CrossRiverRegion
SoutheasternNigeria
Wlliam & RobertArnett Collection
4. lElBlO.Anang
EkonSocietyMarionette
SoutheasternNigeria
Wlliam & RobertArnett Collection
Left to Right:No. ll, No. 10, No. 9, No. 8
lBlBlO,Anang
Ekon SocietyMarionette
Lower CrossRiverRegion
SoutheasternNigeria
Wlliam & RobertArnett Collection
6. lElBlO,Anang
Ekon SocietyMarionette
Lower CrossRiverRegion
Southeastern Nigeria
William& RobertArnett Collection
7. lElBlO,Anang
MasqueradeCrest(MammyWau)
(Probablycarvedby Chukuu Familyl
LowerCrossRiverRegion
SoutheasternNigeria
William& RobertArnett Collection
 No 15
8. BOZO t 2 BAMANA
BirdPuppet lhree-headedFemaleMarionette
SegouRegion SegouRegion
Mali Mali
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection William& RobertArnett Collection

9. OGONI t 3 BAMANA
MasqueradePuppetHeaddress FemaleFrgure
CrossRiverSection SegouRegion
Nigeria
Southeastern Mali
William& RobertArnett Collection Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection

r0.ocoNl BAMANA
Masquerade Puppet Figure FemaleFigure
Cross River Region SegouRegion
SoutheasternNigeria Mali
William & Robert Arnett Collection Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection

II. BAMANA t 5 . FetishFigure

FemaleFigure SenufoRegion
SegouRegion William& RobertArnett Collection
Mali
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection
16. BOZO 20 YORUBA
Animal Head with Female Figure Bodytuppet
Segou Region Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection
Mali
Wlliam & Robert Arnett Collection 2I, BAMANA
AnimalHead
t 7 BAMANA BougoniRegion
Antelope Headdress Mali
Segou Region William& RobertArnett Collection
Mali
William & Robert Arnett Collection 22. YORUBA
GeledeHeaddress with PuPPet
l 8 BAMANA Nigeria
Hyena William& RobertArnett Collection
Segou Region
Mali 23. Headdresswith SkinCovering
Center for Puppetry Arts Collection UpperCrossRiverRegion
Cameroon
t 9 BAMANA William& RobertArnett Collection
Antelope with Puppets
Segou Region
Mali
Center for Puppetry Arts Collection

No. 16
No. 20

24. BAMANA 28. BAMANA

Antelopewith Figures DanceHeaddress
EasternSegouRegion EasternSougouRegion
Mali Mali
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection Wlliam & RobertArnett Collection

25. BAMANA 29. KUYU

FulaHorseman PuppetHead
Mali Zaire
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection

26. BAMANA 30.rBo

FemaleFigure Male Figure
Mali Nigeria
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection Center for PuppetqyArts Collection

27, YORUBA
Twin Figures
Southwestern Nigeria
Centerfor PuppetryArts Collection
 TheCenterfor PuppetryArtswas foundedinl9TSto promotepuppetryas
a performancear|d visualart form. lt is the onlymajorartsinstitutionin the U.S.
de\oted entirely to puppetry. The Center has three areasof programming:
PerformanceProgramfor both children and adults, Museum Programard
khool for fuppetry. Eachseasonour MuseumProgramfeaturesthree large-
scateexhibitionsof puppetryfromallo\rtheworld.Ourpermanentcollection
featuresover 175figures.Theprincipalbenefactorand founderof the Center
for fuppetry Arts Collectionis Mncy LohmanStaub.

Centcr lbr Puppetry Arts

1404$ring Street,NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309 J,}
(4041873-3089 i.
Mncent Anthony, ExecuUreDirector DianeKempler,MuseumCurator
dII

Programsof the Centerfor fuppetry Arts aresupportedin part bythe National

Endowmentfor the Afts, the GeorgiaCouncilfor the Afts and Humanities,the
FultonCountyArts Council.the Cityof AtlantaBureauof CulturalAffairs, the
Atlanta Publickhools, and contributionsfrom indiMduals. corporations and
foundations.