Producer Donates Puppets to Memphis Citizens
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
MEMPHIS, Tennessee, January 25, 2006 - As China prepares to welcome the Year of the Dog, Memphis is welcoming its own piece of Chinese history. Chinese film and television producer Wang Yuanfeng has donated 80 puppets to the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County, a gesture he hopes will educate Mid-Southerners about Chinese culture and strengthen the friendship between the two cultures.
A press conference officially announcing the donation was held today at the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art, 119 South Main, Wednesday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m.
The puppets will be on loan indefinitely to the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art. The public is invited to view the display at the museum’s Family Day and Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday, February 4.
"On behalf of Shelby County Government, I would like to thank the Delegation from China for their generous gift of 80 astonishingly beautiful Chinese marionette puppets," said Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton. "These marionette puppets each hold a special place in Chinese culture and have been given unique names, characters and roles within Chinese history. We are very grateful to be the recipients of such a wonderful gift and our citizens are in for a real treat when they visit the Chinese marionette puppets exhibit at the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art."
Wharton was on hand at today’s press conference to officially accept the donation from Yuanfeng.
"We are honored that the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art has been chosen as the home for these puppets and thankful to Mr. Yuanfeng for his generosity," said Jack Belz, chairman and CEO of Belz. "The beautiful puppets are a wonderful addition to the rich Chinese art and cultural collection already housed at the museum. We hope to inspire all of the museum’s visitors with these important personifications of Chinese history."
Puppet shows have been a part of Chinese culture for more than 1,000 years. The first puppet shows originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and flourished in the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. Originally used in ancient religious rituals, puppet shows grew in popularity and became a building block for Chinese theater as it is exists today.
String marionette puppets, which make up the majority of Yuanfeng’s donation, are the oldest and most recognizable form of Chinese puppetry. In China, marionette shows are performed to drive away evil spirits or to thank the gods. Traditionally, these puppets also appear at a child’s first birthday or on an older person’s birthday, symbolizing a rite of passage.
"Memphis is very fortunate to receive such an extensive collection of these culturally important puppets," said Kevin Gallagher, former assistant to Mayor Wharton who helped to coordinate the puppets transportation to the United States. "Mr. Yuanfeng’s donation indicates the genuine interest the Chinese have in a cultural and economic exchange with Memphis."
Gallagher points out that Qiuqui, a member of the Chinese delegation and the Cultural Development Office, was instrumental in getting the puppets to Memphis.
The puppets on display at the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art each represent a character from Chinese history or folklore. In the future, Gallagher hopes to hold live puppet shows at schools and community events throughout Memphis to further increase cultural awareness and to illustrate the dynamic characters and legends behind the puppets.
"I’d like for Memphians to see the puppets as they were meant to be seen, live on stage," said Gallagher. "In the meantime, we are very grateful for Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art’s care and safekeeping."
About Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art
Founded in 1998, the Belz Museumof Asian & Judaic Art is home to a collection that spans the art of many cultures and time periods including: Chinese art primarily from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Jewish art and Judaica, a selection of natural history and various contemporary examples of art and craft from around the world.
The museum has a diverse collection of objects on display. Sculptures carved from Chinese jades and other hard stones in the late Qing Dynasty, tomb figurines and statuary made during the Tang Dynasty in China, European art glass, Russian lacquer boxes and modern Jewish ritual objects represent the craft traditions of different cultures.
The Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art is located in the heart of downtown Memphis at 119 South Main Street, in the Pembroke Square Building. The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For information on special group rates, guided tours, educational programs, teachers’ packets and special event room rental, contact the Museum at (901) 523-ARTS.
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