| Karagiozis, or Greek shadow puppetry, emerged in Greece around 1880 and became extremely popular between 1915-1950. The puppeteer manipulated paper or leather-made puppets in front of a white screen illuminated by light from behind. Writer, musician, singer, stage designer and director all wrapped into one, the puppeteer created all aspects of the play. |
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Greek shadow plays include numerous characters, always revolving around the central character Karagiozi, a poor man who constantly gets into trouble for stealing and other petty crimes. The plays depict comedy, traditional folklore and heroism.
The characters pictured here are: Sir Dionysios, a man who always wears a top hat and who used to be rich and likes to pretend like he still is, Karagiozi's wife, Karagiozi, the central character, and Morfonios, one of the silliest characters with a big nose who is greedy and constantly brags about his good looks.
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