Ombres Chinoises

(French: �Chinese shadows�), European version of the Chinese shadow-puppet show, introduced in Europe in the mid-18th century by returning travelers. Soon adopted by French and English showmen, the form gained prominence in the shows of the French puppeteer Dominique S�raphin, who presented the first popular ombres chinoises in Paris in 1776. In 1781 he moved his show to Versailles,