I'm very interested in this type puppet. I recently saw a video on youtube. It was called "An Unusual Concert"  Sergey Obratzov ,  It was amazing. The arm movements seem to be accomplished with no rods. How did they do that? Where can I get information about that type of controls? Hand and Rod Puppets: A Handbook of Technique by Hansjurgen Fettig had alot of really good stuff in there but didnt seem to illustrate that method. Anybody know how that works?

Is this the video you are talking about?
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https://youtu.be/EkPGVSCYjKM

I had never seen that video.  Very cool stuff. Not sure how they manipulated the arms for sure. I do think that some of the puppets with long sleves did have rods.  You'll notice those seem to have a bit more control over the movement.

That video was just incredibly cool. I was going to marvel at the magician and his partner, drinking their beverage, then something as simple as the balloon act wowed me. I'd sure like to know how those puppets are constructed and operated, it was fascinating to me.

I also enjoyed the puppeteers taking a bow, at the end.

Yes. that's the one. The Gypsy and the magician I can tell that there are rods used. But, the MC and the conductor in particular are fascinating. The arm/hand movement is so precise. I can't see the rods! Are there any Russians on this board who can go tho the theatre/museum and snap a pic of the mechanism? I have to know how this worked!

Brilliant !

Billy D.

Wow! A pair of dancing puppets required seven puppeteers.

o wow, that's some classic stuff!  thanks much for linking us

and yes, that arm manipulation is fabulous--I'd like to know how it's done as well....elbows perhaps?

Hey,    to P&S

So cool!  I'm very impressed with the MC especially. The mouth movement and the arm movement are wonderful. I'm guessing that the control for the arms is fairly simple though I don't know what it is. The effect is more due to the skill of the puppeteer than it is to the mechanism.

I think you are right Jon that the mech itself is perhaps pretty simple.  I wonder if the puppeteers hand is actually up in the upper arms of the puppet and then a string that is pulled bellow makes the elbow bend.  Even if the fingers do not control the upper arm I think a string is controlling the elbow bend. A tube on the inside of the upper arm and then a second one on the inside of the lower arm with a break right at the elbow, then run a string through the tubes that you can pull and you would have the movement. A simple piece of elastic or something similar (maybe a piece of leather) between the arm sockets would hold the upper arms into a ball joint of sorts.  If you pulled down on the center of the elastic or leather it could cause the upper part to the arms to move up.  The only thing is that they seem to move independent of each other and that method would raise both.