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Puppet - Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre, Kolitiris, 1960s
Reg. No: SH 911423
- Summary:
- This puppet was made in the 1960s by the Greek puppeteer and popular artist Abraam (Antonakos) in his Athens workshop, and used in performances in Greece during the 1960s. This and most of the puppets in the collection were brought to Australia by Abraam Antonakas for his performances at the Astor Theatre in Melbourne in 1977. He then left the collection with Dimitri Katsoulis who used them in all his subsequent performances in Victoria and in South Australia from 1978 to 1991.Dimitri Katsoulis migrated to Australia in 1974 to escape a regime that repressed Greek artists. He had trained in Greece with theatre and film companies as an actor and technician. A master of the traditional Greek shadow puppet theatre, his performances explored contemporary issues such as the isolation of migrant women and children. Unable to obtain funding and support, he returned to Greece in 1991, leaving his entire collection to the people of Victoria. It includes 32 shadow puppets and around 170 props, set backdrops and technical tools and stage equipment. Dimitri has since returned to Melbourne and assists the Museum to continue to document this rich art form within both local and international contexts.
Kolitiris is a character in the centuries-old Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre (Karaghiozis) tradition. He is the eldest child of Karaghiozis. He is smart and ingenious and developing into the next Karaghiozis. He appears in the introduction and in certain heroic plays and comedies. His voice is often heard form inside the shack. Kolitiris is a principal puppet and all the puppeteers use the same name to identify him.
The puppet is manipulated by a puppet rod [there are many examples in the collection] mounted at the top of its shoulder.
Information supplied by Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre master Dimitri Katsoulis, 2007. - Description:
- An acrylic figure of a man, in profile, jointed at waist and above knees. The figure is reversible. His hair is black; his feet and legs are bare. He wears a yellow waistcoat and green, patched short trousers. The white shirt-sleeve bears a criss-cross pattern and a blue elbow-patch. The back appears to be hunched, and there is a hole below the shoulder for the attachment of supporting rods.
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 41.00 cm (Height), 15.00 cm (Length) |
More information
| Tagged with: | cultural maintenance, greek communities, greek immigration, karaghiozis theatre, shadow puppetry, theatres, working life |
| Themes this item is part of: | Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - Dimitri Katsoulis, Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - Lighting Technology, Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - History, Cultural Diversity Collection, Migration Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection |
| Primary Classification: | CULTURAL IDENTITY |
| Secondary Classification: | Ethnicity - Creative Practice |
| Tertiary Classification: | puppetry |
| Artist: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Athens, Greece, 1960-1969 |
| User: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Athens, Greece, 1960-1977 Abraam made the puppet in Greece, and used it in performances during the 1960s and 1970s; and then in Victoria in 1977. |
| User: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Victoria, Australia, 1977 Abraam made the puppet in Greece, and used it in performances during the 1960s and 1970s; and then in Victoria in 1977. |
| User: | Mr Dimitri Katsoulis, Australia, 1978-1991 Dimitri was given the puppet by Abraam in 1977 and then used it in his performances in Australia until 1991. |
| References: | http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/#; Malkin, Michael, R. Traditional and Folk Puppets of the World, A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc., N.J., 1977; Simmen, Rene, The World of Puppets, Elsevier, Phaidon, London, 1975; Hogarth, Ann & Bussell, Jan, Fanfare for Puppets!, David & Charles Publishers Ltd, USA, 1985; Yayannos, A & Ar and Dingli, J. The World of Karaghiozis, 1976 |
Themes
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