The museum, to be dubbed MarionetTéka, would present some of the finest examples of puppets ? some more than one hundred years old ? made in the workshops of Hungary?s twenty or so puppet theatres. Some of the puppets will come from the National Theatre Institute?s huge collection, closed to the public until now.
Naturally, the museum will also host traveling exhibitions of puppets from abroad.
The museum will have a historical section and an antique section. There will also be a part of the museum where teachers can find information about the art form.
Puppets have been used as a form of expression for more than 5,000 years. Although most people think puppets are just for children, this association was formed only around the middle of the last century. In the Far East, puppets are a form of religious art: they are metaphors for both man and gods. But, as time has passed, they too, as many other things, have become secularized.
The etymology of the word ?marionette? shows its origins are in the name Mary. In the Middle Ages puppeteers even played a sacral role, but the art form was prohibited in the church after a time. Afterward, the art form became a part of family entertainment, and the first puppet theatres were formed, most of them in the German-speaking parts of Europe.
Puppets are made mostly from textiles, but the head is of wood or another material. Puppets may also have complicated mechanical structures, allowing for movement. When the puppet?s ?skeleton? is completed, it goes to another workshop, where the head is shaped and painted, or where the puppet is ?dressed?.
Anyone interest in learning more about how puppets are made or wanting to know more about the planned puppet museum can call Hédi Kovács, the secretary of the Hungarian Puppeteers Association, at 06-70-221-5384.
Source: Kármen Kiss of art.net
