Venturing Beyond Leather Puppets

Today, very few shadow puppets are made for performances.

The puppets that are made are much smaller, usually for the purpose of decoration or souvenirs.

A puppet depicting Lord Krishna.

A puppet depicting Radha, the beloved of Lord Krishna.

With fewer performances, small puppets are now primarily sold as wall decorations.

A leather puppet of a horse.

Wall decorations and narrative panels are gaining popularity today.

The nature of the medium makes it easy for it to lend itself to newer functions, such as being used as pendants.

The translucent parchment with colourful perforated iconography makes for unique lampshades.

The illustrations on these lampshades range from mythology-inspired characters to designs inspired by nature.

Decorative elements like peacocks are quite popular.

Wall decorations, lampshades, smaller puppets and narrative panels are popular with the urban clientele. The nature of the medium lends itself to new functions: the translucent parchment with colourful perforated iconography makes for unique products.

The artisans had to step outside the traditional, familiar environs of their homes and villages in search of new markets.

Craft bazaars, boutiques and emporiums have replaced the village performance tours of yesteryears.

This picture shows different designs of leather lamp shades at a crafts bazaar. The translucent leather with its colourful decorations and perforations makes for eye-catching lamp shades.

Read more about the craft of Leather Puppet Making:

- The Process
- The Influence of Lepakshi Temple