Search the collections
Poster - Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre, Greek Soldier, 1920s-1950s
Reg. No: SH 940808
- Summary:
- Alternative Name(s): bill poster
Copy of a poster used between the 1920s-1950s to advertise a performance in Athens of the centuries-old Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre (Karaghiozis) tradition. Dimitri Katsoulis brought posters from Greece in the early 1990s; the originals are held in a museum collection in Greece. 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.
The Greek Shadow puppeteers had this type of advertising poster as part of their puppeteering kit when they were doing tours in various parts of Greece. It is a work of the puppeteer and artist S. Kouzarou. It is a snapshot of a dance pose from the Introduction of a Karaghiozis play. It is a soldier from the revolution/uprising of 1821.
Information supplied by Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre master Dimitri Katsoulis, 2007. - Description:
- Small poster in portrait format, featuring a Greek soldier in a walking pose from the Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre in brown colour tones. He is in costume and bradishes a sword or large dagger.Top right hand corner has text in Greek [see inscrioptions for translation].
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Coburg Campus, 1994
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 300 mm (Height), 230 mm (Width) |
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 |
| Inscriptions: | Translation of handwritten text on poster: Souliotis [= person from Souli] (skin/leather by Kouzarou) |
| Artist: | Mr S Kouzarou, Greece, 1920s-1950s |
| Past Owner: | Mr Dimitri Katsoulis, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, early 1990s |
| 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
This item is part of the following themes:
Add your question or comment