Myanmar Marionettes is a Mandalay-based string puppetry company founded by Ma Ma Naing and Naing Yee Mar in 1986. To the present day, the Myanmar Marionettes and their programming still strive not only to entertain through their performances but also to educate the world audience on the rich history and cultural values of Myanmar’s theatrical arts.
This puppet depicts a white horse (Myin) from The ‘Himavunta’ or Himalayan scene – a narrative which tells the story of the world’s creation. In Buddhism, it is believed that the first constellation in the sky appeared like the head of a horse. Hence, the horse’s dance in this story represents the beginning of the earth’s creation. Two pairs of tiny silver bells are attached on the sides of its mouth, and its neck is adorned with woven trimmings made of bright-coloured yarn and pom-poms. Additionally, decorative floral sequins are attached across his body and spine. The white horse is depicted as the first creature to step on the face of the earth in the creation scene, where following a brief dance scene, he returns to heaven.