Lost in Fragmentation: On how to deal with Fragments of a special Performance Form from Mali in the Collection KOLK 17 in Lübeck

Abstract

On the basis of three selected pieces from a 1991 acquisition documented by both the collector and the museum of Theatre Puppets in Lübeck (now KOLK 17), it is shown that many of the approximately 60 puppets from Mali within the collection KOLK 17 are presumably set pieces from movable animal puppet stages, a special form of costume puppets that only exist in Mali. It is shown that the terms ascribed to the objects often do not do justice to the former performing objects, since they only describe individual elements and do not take the actual performative action into account. Particularly in the case of those puppets that are animated by the physical movement of the puppet player, as is the case with costume puppets, this fragmentary view of the performing objects, which can also be encountered to an extent in the specialist literature, leads to an enormous loss of meaning. The complexity of moving animal puppet stages is demonstrated by the presentation of the versatile performance techniques and stage contexts. How the puppets from Mali within the collection KOLK 17 were actually played could not be conclusively clarified. Nevertheless, the objects could be extended to include possible contexts of use and meaning: these contexts are essential for further research.