Indian shadow puppet depicting the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, likely would have been used in performances of the Ramayana. Figure is made of paper-thin, transparent animal hide (likely water buffalo) that has been dyed and painted. The head, hands, and feet resemble that of a monkey and the body is black with red and white details. The body also has a perforated design. "Hanuman" is written on a round name tag and attached to the neck of the puppet. Hanuman is wearing red, pink, and white patterned necklaces and shorts. A plain wooden rod runs down the center of the puppet and is attached using threat. Figure is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, and knees (this is an unusual pattern as Indian shadow puppets are generally not articulated in the knee and any that are are typically also articulated at the wrist). Character is about a foot tall, this is notable because most Indian puppets are much larger than this, with 2-4 feet tall being standard.
There are several distinct styles of shadow puppetry in India, each with distinct traditions and aesthetics that reflect the regional culture they originate from. From these traditions, there can also be less common variations or even a blending where two or more traditions overlap, this can make it very difficult to distinguish with 100% certainty where a puppet originates from without a detailed provenance. As such, it is uncertain which regional tradition or variant this puppet came from as there are some aspects of its design that do not match any of the primary varieties. The unusual height and uncommon pattern of articulation effectively eliminate all standard styles from common traditions, although based on the artistic design and materials it is most likely closely related to either of the Togalu gombeyaata or Tolu bommalatam traditions, it is most likely one of three possibilities: 1)made by someone in a culturally blended area that was not involved with any traditional troupes 2) it was made by someone who is just learning or who doesn't have access to as many materials, or 3) it may be a variant used for a specific scene in a show as this is a fairly common practice. While there is a chance this was made to sell to tourists or give to children, this is unlikely as it is made using a deeply traditional and often expensive technique while most of those made for tourists and children are made with other, cheaper materials such as paper or even plastics.