W40xD50xH100mm, China
This puppet head is that of a glove puppet, it is of the character Qing Hua Junior of the Jing (painted face) catergory. Qing Hua Junior can portrait characters of a villain or a hero with an explosive attitude.
The making of the puppet starts from selection of Zhang wood (Cinnamomum Camphora), apart from the nature of the wood its also has a function of being a wood pesticide, the required size would be taken out and together with the trimming to the rough form all done by use of a hammer. The details are then carved out, once the carving is completed a thin layer of white slip is applied as a filler to smooth out the knots of the wood. The base colour is then sprayed by a mouth piece and the features hand painted. If there are hair to the puppet, it would be added at the final stage.
Mountain Folkcraft 