"THE SPECIAL MECHANIC OF JAPANESE PUPPET" |
The Japanese puppet theatre has almost 1,000 years history and in EDO-period their development reached a kind of peak of theatre technology. We try to make a head of puppet with precise mechanics from the traditional BUNRAKU system which has specially mobile neck and head. Then we have a short lesson how to manipulate them. You should be surprised how wonderful possibility of expression they have ! |
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Schedule: | The process of production takes 4 or 5 days, everyday 4 or 5 hours. |
Space: | Workshop space with tools. Something like atelier of theatre or craft-school is best. We could also set up such an environment somehow in ordinary meeting room. |
Participants: | The number of participants depends on the size and equipment of the working space. I can control max.25 participants with assistants. |
Material you prepare: | * Wooden board with stand to make the head of puppet by clay, about 300mm x 300 x 10 (thickness) and 300 height stand, for each participant (cf. attached photo in website). * Cube wooden block, about 60mm x 40 x 90. 1piece for each participant. This would be a neck for puppet. * Cube wooden stick, about 30mm x 30 x 120 (length). 1 piece for each participant. * Cube wooden stick, 15mm x 15 x 300 (length) for each participant. * Column wooden stick,ƒÓ15mm x 600 (length) for each participant. * Clay, 1kg for each participant. * Water bucket for clay work, 1 bucket for 2 participants. * Plaster (for casting) 1kg for each participant. * Glue for paper and wood (white one) about 250g bottle for 3 participants. * Epoxy glue, about 30g set for 3 participants. This is a special kind of glue for wooden work. You will mix 2 different kinds of glue together (They are usually written A type and B type on each tube) and it should be fixed very strongly in 20 or 30 minutes. * Electric handy drill and its blades. If possible, 2 drills for all participants. We need the blades of ƒÓ1.5mm, 3mm, 8mm, 15mm. * Chisel for wood, 1 chisel for 3 participants. The width of the blade is between 15mm-20mm. * Chisel for wood, 1 chisel for 3 participants. The width of the blade is between 3mm-5mm. * Sandpapers. * Nail, the lengths are 10mm, 20mm, 30mm. * Handy gas burner or gas burner, 1 for all participants. * Strong string, maybe string for fishing, 500mm for 1 participant. * Elastic string, 300mm for 1 participant. Flat shape type is better than column shape type. This is used for underwear, for example. * Working desk for participants. And the following things are possible to ask to each participant to bring by themselves. But please prepare them (at least one-set) also by your side in the worst case if somebody forgets them home or breaks on the way of production. * Saw for wood, 1 saw for 2 participants. We will do small work on woods. So small saw is better. * Hammer, 1 hammer for 2 participants. * Knife for curving wood. * Pincers, small type and big type. * Scissors. * Cutter-knife, small type and big type. * Painting brush. We use it for glue work. So used old one is better. * Spoon for soup, this is for the plaster work. * Rubber or plastic bowl for the plaster work. * Working uniform. * Some waste cloths. * Pencil. * Ruler, the length should be more than 200mm. * Newspaper, 2 sets of newspaper at least. It will be head of puppet by papier-mache. * Spatula for clay, it can be teaspoon or small lunch knife. This tool is used for clay work. * If you have a pair of vernier calipers, that is very useful. E.O.F. |