"Gala-kyzlyar-maylichi" puppet - a dancer

Uzbek

Turkestan Krai, Syr-Darya Oblast, city Tashkent

late 19th century

Wood, cotton textile, calico, gauze, silk, wood

РЭМ 1313-30

A puppet from the "chodir hayal" puppet theater. The term "gala" in Uzbek means "group," "kyzlyar" means "girl," and "mail" means "inclination, tendency." It can be assumed that these girls' role was to dance alongside renowned singers and dancers, as well as to perform in group dances. Komarov notes that they were all "immodest in behavior," but this description applied to representatives of all artistic professions in the Muslim world, especially women engaged in them.