During the 17th century, the Turkish shadow theatre spread along the northern shores of Africa. The “storytellers with their picture boxes” and their little glove puppets have transformed the very notion of the puppet through the richness of its forms and functions. The distinction is often made between the sacred and the profane when it comes to African puppets. They often play an intermediary role between gods, ancestors and men caught in the hardships of existence. On the other hand many puppets have been used to entertain the public, thus mingling with the profane.
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