Tholu bommalata is leather shadow theatre from Andhra Pradesh. Hide from animals that died naturally is shaved, herb-treated, beaten thin and stretched until it passes light. Both faces are dyed, joints are riveted and pinned with date-palm thorns, and the figure rides a palm stem with detachable arm sticks.

Behind a white cotton screen with one lamp, the undyed hide burns honey-amber and the dyes read as coloured shadow rather than flat ink. This system keeps that: a translucent ground, opaque black outline, red-green-black dye, and ornament punched through instead of drawn on.