The personalities of puppets

This exhibition, co-hosted by the Nanchizi Museum and Wang's Shadow Puppetry, runs until April 13. According to 25-year-old Dang Feihua, a fifth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, the phrase Dian Xi Yi Ben ("to order a special performance out of a catalog of choices") originates in a traditional Shaanxi shadow puppetry saying. "In the past, only those with an extensive collection and a skilled troupe could display a Dian Xi Yi Ben sign during performances at festivals, weddings or funerals. It was a mark of family strength," Dang explains.

The exhibition opens with a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) shadow puppet piece called Dian Xi Yi Ben, and a huqin, a traditional stringed instrument used in puppetry performances from the same era. Beneath them, two open puppet cases symbolize kai xiang, or "opening the case", a theatrical tradition by shadow puppetry troupes marking their first performance after each Spring Festival.

Three generations of Wang's Shadow Puppetry inheritors are showcasing their distinctive work.