As for the model and making of characters and scenes in shadow play, shadow play belongs to the folk fine arts, and its artistic style flies its own color in the art and literary circle of all ethnic groups. In order to adapt to the screen-shadow performance form, it combines abstract and realistic techniques, and apply boldly complanate, artistic, cartoon and opera features to characters and scenes in shadow play, synthesized all the above art forms. Patterns of the make-up and costume in it are vivid and visual, overdrawn and humorous, with some simple and bold, or others delicate and romantic. Plus, being smoothly carved, flamboyantly painted, physically transparent, the figures and scenes products in shadow play are really pleasing to the eye and mind, and make it hard for people to put them down. Products of leather-shadow puppets (shortened as shadow puppet) are not only being used in the performance of shadow play, but can be played with hands, as well as used as decorations inside placed in front of windows or on wall. Thanks to their unsophisticated and graceful model and rich ethnic flavors, they are highly praised for their artistic value for appreciation and collection value. So they have been collected in many museums, and by many collectors, artists and shadow play lovers. In the international association, there are some people present to international friends Chinese shadow play products as first-class gifts, too.

Chinese Shadow Play

Shadow play is one of the earliest operas. Its performance equipment is easy to carry around; with rich and beautiful music for voices, splendid and touching performance, it has gained the favor of the great mass hundreds of years, and has become very popular. And moreover, shadow play has made a certain contribution to the culture and art development both domestic and overseas. Many new genres of local opera are derived from the music of voices of the shadow play. The principle of performance on the screen and the artistic techniques of performance employed in Chinese shadow play, have acted as a forerunner to the invention of modern film and the development of modern animation film. From Goethe in 18th century to the later Chaplin and other famous men world culture in the west have ever praised highly to Chinese shadow play. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other leaders of China have entertained guests both home and abroad with shadow play many times. However，the condition of being on the brink of extinction has not been changed up to now, after shadow play suffered the severe damage in “the Great Proletarian Culture Revolution”.

Chinese Shadow Play

“Piying” (leather-shadow puppet art) or shadow play is general term referring to shadow drama and shadow play character (including stage scene, properties, and setting). Chinese shadow play is a unique art, ingeniously combined Chinese folk fine art and traditional opera, and an indispensable, exquisite gem in Chinese art palace.
Shadow play is a kind of drama in which the artistic effect is achieved through the performance of plane puppet figures projected with light onto a transparent white screen, on which the audience watch the performance. The plane puppet figures, as well the stage scene, properties and setting are usually made of leather, curved and painted manually by folk craftsmen. Therefore it is called “piying” (leather-shadow puppet art)