"Shadman-Batyr" puppet, a Kyrgyz

Uzbek

Turkestan Krai, Syr-Darya Oblast, city Tashkent

late 19th century

Wood, cotton textile, papier mache, horse hair, calico

РЭМ 1313-9

A puppet from the "chodir khayal" puppet theater. The prototype was Shabdan Dzhantayev, known as Shabdaan-batyr (1839–1912), a member of a noble Kyrgyz family. In 1850, he was sent to Kokand as a hostage to ensure peaceful relations between the Kyrgyz and the Kokand Khanate. He served at the Kokand court, participated in the battle against the Russians in 1860, in which the Kokandis were defeated, and defended Tashkent in 1862. For his courage and bravery, the people nicknamed him "batyr"—hero. However, recognizing Russia's military and political superiority, he subsequently contributed to reconciliation and the improvement of Kyrgyz-Russian relations, for which he was awarded the Cossack rank of military elder, equivalent to colonel, in 1883.