Rajasthani Kathputli String Puppets Pair Carved Wood Heads Indian Folk Art

A pair of Rajasthani kathputli string puppets, one male and one female, each with a carved and painted wooden head and a soft stuffed cloth body. The male wears a peaked striped turban, a painted moustache and heavy black brows, a deep red jacket and a block printed navy skirt with gold ribbon trim. The female wears a red and gold skirt, a green and red head cloth, a nose ring dot and long lashed eyes. Both hang from braided cotton cords. Kathputli is the string puppet tradition of Rajasthan, carried for generations by the Bhat community, who travelled between villages performing verse dramas about local kings and folk heroes to a drum and a reed whistle. The construction is dictated by the road: carved heads because they survive being packed, cloth bodies with no legs because the long skirt does the work of movement, and a small number of strings so a single puppeteer can run two figures at once. The bright block printed cotton and the gold gota ribbon are the same materials used in Rajasthani dress. Condition is good with honest age. The carved faces are intact with paint loss and rubbing at the high points, the back of the male head shows a plain dark finish as made, the fabrics are sound with fading and light soiling, and the cords are present on both figures. The stuffing has settled in places. Measured against a rule the puppets run about sixteen inches from the top of the head to the hem.