Puppets, Stories, and Spirit from Around the World
On now until 2 November 2025 - Maison des Cultures du Monde, Vitré, France
Tucked inside the historic Maison des Cultures du Monde in Vitré, Brittany, this exhibition—Puppets: Characters and Stories from Asia—is a must-see for anyone with a love of puppetry, theatre, or world traditions. But more than just an “Asian puppets” display, this show quietly expands into a deeper exploration of ritual, resistance, belief, and beauty through the art of puppetry from across the globe.
Spread over two beautifully arranged floors in a building full of character and history, the exhibition is free to enter and easy to navigate—a hidden gem that rewards slow looking.
The Puppets
From the delicate shadow figures of Wayang Kulit in Indonesia to the vibrant, ceremonial marionettes of Yakshagana in India, the puppets here are exceptionally well-preserved and beautifully displayed. The descriptions are rich and accessible, often accompanied by maps, performance images, and fascinating videos that bring them to life.
The Vietnamese water puppets (Múa Rối Nước) are a standout—bright, theatrical, and gleaming with lacquer. A video beside the display lets you watch these puppets perform on water, complete with splashes, cymbals, and pyrotechnics. It’s funny, clever, and filled with dramatic flair.
Other treasures include:
Myanmar’s Yoke Thay Thabin marionettes, used in court and religious storytelling, ornately painted and full of expression.
The Tiv people’s Kwagh Hir from Nigeria, where satire, myth, and transformation mix in a genre-defying form of puppet theatre and dance.
The Diablada of Oruro, a Bolivian carnival dance where demons and angels clash in a mythic battle, fusing Catholic and Andean belief systems.
The fierce, chaotic energy of Calonarang from Bali—a trance-based exorcism ritual performed through dance-drama.
Films & Context
What truly elevates the exhibition is the accompanying film material. In one room, a screen shows full water puppet performances. In another, you see puppeteers at work, festivals in action, and rituals performed in their original contexts. You’re not just looking at museum pieces—you’re stepping into living traditions.
The introductory text anchors the show in a thoughtful curatorial frame: puppets are not just entertainment—they are vessels of belief, used to affirm, question, and sometimes subvert the spiritual and social systems they emerge from. These are stories of gods, demons, workers, rulers, animals, and ancestors—told in miniature but carrying immense weight.
The Venue
The Maison des Cultures du Monde (French Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage) is a delight in itself. Nestled in a Benedictine priory, the venue exudes a quiet reverence—perfect for taking in these often-spiritual objects. The staff are kind and passionate, and there’s a real sense of care in how the exhibition has been mounted.
This is a place that knows how to honour tradition, not just display it.
Final Thoughts
This exhibition isn’t just for puppet lovers—it’s for anyone curious about how cultures tell their stories and how artistry can express the sacred, the political, and the playful all at once.
Whether you're drawn to the flamboyant costumes of Bolivia’s Diablada, the spiritual duels of Balinese trance dance, or the subtle elegance of a Burmese marionette’s painted expression—you’ll find something to spark the imagination here.
🧳 Add it to your itinerary if you’re in Brittany this autumn.
🎟️ Entry is free. The experience is priceless.
