Included in Brighton Museum's collection are early twentieth century puppets such as the princess (minthamee), an ogre or demon, an elephant figure (derived from Ganesh). It also includes puppets made during the 1990s, an ornate king of the nats and a sorcerer (zawgyi), a survivor from pre-Buddhist Burma who practices alchemy to attain immortal life.

Notable among these new puppets is the character of the comedian. This was made by Moustache Brother Lu Maw, and serves as an unusual record of contemporary life in Burma. The Moustache Brothers are from a family of performers based in Mandalay, who rose to international attention when two of the brothers were arrested in 1996 for one of their comic performances. During the seven-year imprisonment of the brothers, Lu Maw, who had remained free, used the carved puppets as one of the reminders to visitors of the fate of his brothers.