Aestetica Brings Water Puppetry to Home Décor

Aestetica Incorporated, a Chicago-based fine decorative arts importer for the home and garden, has acquired a rare and exclusive collection of artifacts from Vietnam.

CONTACT:   
Susan J. Magar
Aestetica
Ph: 773.388.3200
Cell:   773.991.6439
Fax: 773.388.3202
smagar@aestetica.com
www.aestetica.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aestetica Brings Water Puppetry to Home Décor

Chicago-March 28, 2003-Aestetica Incorporated, a Chicago-based fine decorative arts importer for the home and garden, has acquired a rare and exclusive collection of artifacts from Vietnam known as water puppets. These fanciful characters, ranging from fishermen and three-feet-long dragons to princesses and warriors on horseback, were used in their day on ponds and paddy fields to tell stories of village life, ancient legends and the country's national history. An 800-year-old art form, water puppetry (mua roi nuoc) originated largely in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam and was performed as a diversion by peasant farmers.

"I was introduced to these charming pieces when I traveled Hanoi, the birthplace of water puppetry," said Susan Magar, owner of Aestetica, Inc. "I visited a water puppet training school and met the school's master puppet carver. Though I saw many new puppets made for the tourists, I was drawn to the 'battle scarred' puppets that endured years of performances. I felt their charm and history would attract the discriminating collector back in the States."

On that hunch, Magar brought back an array of retired puppets from Hanoi's Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe, building an impressive first collection.

"When I travel Vietnam, I discover a vibrant, growing country, deeply respectful of its history," Magar added. "I'm thoroughly enchanted. My visits become master classes for me in Vietnamese culture, a culture that was overshadowed by the war. It's exciting to see a growing interest in this culture with events such as the current Vietnam exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. No doubt you'll find water puppets represented."

The wood puppets range in size, but can stand as high as three-feet tall from their base and weigh 20 to 30 pounds. Carved from water-resistant sung (fig) trees, the puppets are colorfully painted retaining much of their vibrancy due to their initial waterproofing with resin from the lacquer tree. Rigged with "strings", the puppets are capable of facial and arm gestures. In a traditional performance, a puppet is fixed to a floating base which itself is horizontally affixed to the end of a bamboo rod some 15 feet long. The base has a rudder to help guide the puppets. Standing chest-deep in water and hidden behind a rattan screen, the puppeteers submerge the poles so the puppets appear to be using the water's surface as their stage. In fact, the water itself can become a character shifting from placid pond to churning sea. Folk musicians accompany the action of the story.

"In building the Aestetica collection, I've discovered that Vietnam's history and legends are told not only through their performing arts, but also through their textiles and pottery," said Magar. "I've coined the phrase 'make the journey' because I'm inviting the discriminating collector to enter the world of other cultures and make new discoveries. That's what Aestetica is all about."

To learn more about water puppetry, visit: www.sagecraft.com or www.thingsasian.com/. To learn more about Aestetica and its product line, visit www.aestetica.com/.

Aestetica, a direct importer based in Chicago, provides fine decorating arts for the home and garden. The company is founded on the vision that the world's traditional and cultural arts offer a classic, timeless appeal to decorating. Aestetica's current collection of textiles, ceramics and artifacts is drawn largely from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma. Aestetica does not support sweatshops or the exploitation of employees. Its imports are the result of extensive traveling by its owner, Susan Magar, whose mission is to build a personal relationship with and carry distinctive items from artisans around the world.

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High Resolution (300 dpi) images are available at www.aestetica.com/editors/. Transparencies are available upon request. Please credit Aestetica Inc. and HotFlash Photography.

Captions

(A) Aestetica, a fine decorative arts importer based in Chicago, has built an impressive collection of Vietnamese water puppets. An 800-year-old art form, water puppetry (mua roi nuoc) was often used to tell stories of village life. A performance was typically staged on a pond or flooded field.

(B) Carved from water resistant sung (fig) trees, water puppets are colorfully painted retaining much of their vibrancy over time. Aestetica's collection features puppets retired from the Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe of Vietnam. Aestetica is a fine decorative arts importer based in Chicago.

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